ISKCON stages 'kirtan' protest in Kolkata to demand release of jailed Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh

The ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness)  chanted kirtans and held placards which read: "We are not terrorists."

Another protester was seen holding a poster that read: "Protect our temples in Bangladesh."

They also expressed concern over the persecution of religious minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.

Speaking to the media, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das said: "We were surprised that the demand to ban ISKCON was raised in Bangladesh?"

The Dhaka High Court, meanwhile, refused to pass a suo moto order to ban the ISKCON in Bangladesh.

Reacting to the court's order, Das said: "The court has dismissed the petition to ban ISKCON. It is a great relief. This is a welcome step."

He said threatening ISKCON members in Bangladesh should be stopped.

The Hindu minorities in Bangladesh have been protesting against the arrest of  Chinmoy Krishna Das, an incident which has triggered tension in the South Asian nation which has been witnessing political turmoil ever since former PM Sheikh Hasina-led government was ousted following violent agitations against her regime over a job quota row.

Hasina fled from Bangladesh on August 5, ending her latest tenure prematurely, amid suspicion that there might be foreign hands like the USA   playing a major role in orchestrating the unrest and planning her ouster.

She had returned to power in January after winning the general polls.

After Hasina fled, Muhammad Yunus and his interim government took charge of the country.

Yunus, known for his closeness to the US Democrats, also proudly accepted later at an event in America that there was “design and conspiracy" involved in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

Local media reports and social media posts claimed there was a spike in attacks on Hindu houses and temples following her ouster from Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), a wing of the country's central bank, has directed banks to freeze the accounts of 17 individuals associated with the ISKCON Bangladesh, including Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, for 30 days.

The other people are Kartik Chandra Dey, Anik Pal, Soroj Roy, Sushanta Das, Biswha Kumar Singha, Chandidas Bala, Jaydev Karmakar, Lipi Rani Karmakar, Sudhama Gaur Das, Lakkhan Kanti Das, Priyatosh Das, Rupan Das, Rupan Kumar Dhar, Ashish Purohit, Jagadish Chandra Adhikari and Sajal Das, reported The Daily Star.

The development came just days after the Hindu monk was arrested over sedition charges from Dhaka airport on November 25 sparking fresh violence and protests in Bangladesh.

He is accused of hoisting a saffron flag above the Bangladeshi national flag in October when he participated in a rally.