Dhaka: Communal Tensions Rise in Bangladesh Following Hifazat-e-Islam’s Demand to Ban ISKCON
Recent demands by the Islamist organization Hifazat-e-Islam to ban the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Chattogram have led to escalating communal tensions in Bangladesh. Prominent Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen raised alarms on social media, warning that during a rally organized by Hifazat-e-Islam in Chattogram, inflammatory slogans like “Catch the ISKCON members, then kill them” were chanted.
In her post, Nasreen highlighted the growing threats faced by ISKCON members and questioned, “Is ISKCON a terrorist organization that it should be banned?” She further pointed out that this group is active worldwide and does not face such issues elsewhere.
BJP leader from West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, also expressed concerns, calling it a “planned attack on ISKCON.” He shared a video claiming that slogans like “There is no place for ISKCON in this Bangladesh” were raised during the Chattogram procession. Adhikari warned, “If extremists plan attacks on ISKCON, they won’t be able to handle the consequences.”
According to media reports, on November 5, a local businessman, Osman Ali, called ISKCON a “terrorist organization” on Facebook, sparking anger within the Hindu community in Chattogram’s Hazi Gali area. To control the situation, police and military launched a joint operation and arrested around 100 suspects.
ISKCON Bangladesh President, Satyaranjan Baroi, condemned the attacks, emphasizing, “ISKCON Bangladesh is a non-political and peaceful religious organization committed to communal harmony, religious tolerance, and human welfare.” Baroi appealed for a fair investigation and a peaceful resolution to the incident.
