Persecution not acceptable: British MP on arrest of Hindu monk in Bangladesh

British Conservative MP Bob Blackman strongly condemned the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh and the arrest of Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, stating that such persecution of religious minorities is unacceptable.

Blackman raised the issue in the UK Parliament, drawing attention to the plight of the minority Hindu community, which he said is facing life-threatening violence, including arson attacks on their homes and temples.

“Right now the international Society of Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), who run Bhaktivedanta Manor in Elstree, the largest Hindu temple in this country. In Bangladesh, their spiritual leader is under arrest,” the Harrow East MP said.

He was referring to Chinmoy Krishna Das, a religious leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, who was detained at Dhaka airport on Monday ahead of a rally. A court in Chattogram denied Das bail on Tuesday, sending him to jail on sedition charges.

Blackman pointed to an attempt in the Bangladesh High Court to ban Iskcon, describing it as “a direct attack on Hindus”, and urging intervention from the Keir Starmer-led British government.

He warned, “Whatever the change of government in Bangladesh, it cannot be acceptable that religious minorities are persecuted in this way.”

The British lawmaker also reiterated on social media, “Freedom of religion must be preserved globally.”

The arrest of Das has sparked widespread protests and violence in Bangladesh. On Tuesday, clashes in Chattogram between security forces and Das’s supporters left a government prosecutor dead. Calls for banning Iskcon have intensified in the aftermath.

The situation in Bangladesh has touched off a diplomatic rift with India. The Ministry of External Affairs expressed “deep concern” over Das’s arrest and denial of bail, urging Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minority communities.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also condemned the Hindu leader’s arrest and demanded his immediate release, while calling for the need to ensure religious freedom and the security of life and property for all communities.

Her party, the beleaguered Awami League, criticised the “unlawful arrest of the popular Hindu priest, the denial of bail and refusal of the regime advisors to acknowledge the violence,” stating that it showed minorities’ rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and protection had been “trampled completely.”

Since the secular government led by Sheikh Hasina was overthrown in August, Hindu groups have reported thousands of attacks against their community. Tens of thousands of minority Hindus have rallied to demand protection from the military-backed interim government and the dropping of sedition cases against Hindu community leaders.

Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, who leads the caretaker government, has disputed the scale of these attacks, but the protests and international condemnation continue to mount.