After Chinmoy Krishna Das' arrest, Bangladesh police prevents over 50 ISKCON members from entering India

Bangladesh's immigration police on Sunday stopped more than 50 members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) who wanted to cross into India from the Benapole border checkpoint with valid travel documents. 

The Bangladesh police did not allow the ISKCON members to proceed, citing "suspicious travel". Hindu devotees from across Bangladesh arrived at the land port along the international border on Saturday, wanting to leave the strife-hit nation through the Benapole-Petrapole crossing, as per local media. 

Benapole Immigration Checkpost Officer-in-Charge Imtiaz Ahsanul Quander Bhuiya told Bangladesh's Daily Star: "We consulted the Special Branch of Police and received instructions from the higher authorities not to permit them."

He added that Bangladeshi authorities did not allow 54 ISKCON devotees to travel to India due to suspicions over their travel purposes.

Saurabh Tapandar Cheli, one of the ISKCON members, said that they came to participate in a religious ceremony in India but were stopped by immigration officials, citing the absence of government permission. 

After the formation of the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, have come under severe attack by Islamist extremists in the country.  

The development comes more than a week after the arrest and denial of bail to Hindu monk and former ISKCON member Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case. The denial of bail to Das, sparking a violent protest leading to the death of a lawyer. 

Two more Hindu priests -- Rudrapoti Kesab Das and Ranga Nath Syama Sundor Das -- were arrested amid protests. After the arrest and denial of bail to Das, a spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote, also associated with ISKCON Bangladesh-India, highlighted cases of arson and looting of minorities' homes and businesses. 

He also highlighted the theft and vandalism as well as desecreation of deities and temples. Bangladeshi High Court, however, refused to ban ISKCON in the country. Bangladeshi authorities also ordered the freezing of the bank accounts of 17 ISKCON affiliates, including Chinmoy Krishna Das, for a period of 30 days.