Advocate defending Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das attacked in B’desh: ISKCON

Kolkata, Dec 3 (IANS) ISKCON on Monday claimed that Advocate Ramen Roy, who had defended Bangladesh’s Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in a legal case there, was brutally attacked in the neighbouring country and is now fighting for his life in a hospital.

According to ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das, Roy’s only “fault” was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das in court, and a group of Islamists ransacked his home.

The attack left Roy critically injured, and he is currently in the ICU, fighting for his life, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson claimed.

“Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only ‘fault’ was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life. #SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu,” he posted on X along with a picture of Roy in ICU.

This comes as attacks on minorities in Bangladesh have increased under Muhammad Yunus, who has led the interim government after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However as reports of minorities being targeted in Bangladesh surfaced, India through multiple channels has urged the Bangladesh government to ensure the security of minorities.

Speaking to a Bengali news channel, Das, also ISKCON Kolkata Vice-President, said, “This brutal attack on advocate Roy is a direct consequence of his legal defence of Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu. It reflects the growing danger faced by those who defend the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh.”

Chinmoy Krishna Das, who served as a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday while en route to Chattogram to attend a rally.

He was denied bail and sent to jail on Tuesday by a court in the neighbouring country.

Historically, Hindus made up around 22 per cent of Bangladesh’s population during the 1971 Liberation War.

The Hindu population, once a substantial demographic in Bangladesh, has experienced a significant decline in recent decades, with the minority community now comprising only around eight per cent of the country’s total population.

This drop is largely attributed to a combination of socio-political marginalisation, exodus, and sporadic violence over the years.

Earlier on Monday, demonstrators allegedly broke into the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala to protest atrocities against minorities in the neighbouring country. The High Commission breach came after an Agartala-Kolkata bus traveling via Dhaka on Saturday reportedly faced an attack in the Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh after being involved in an accident on Vishwa Road.

The events also happen amid escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh, exacerbated by rising attacks on Hindus and their places of worship in Bangladesh following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this year. The political instability in Bangladesh has coincided with a series of mob attacks, intensifying concerns for the safety of the Hindu minority community. Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry had said that the Indian government has taken the incidents of attacks on minorities seriously and communicated its concerns to Bangladesh authorities

–IANS

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