DHAKA: Bangladesh high court on Thursday declined to issue a suo motu order banning Iskcon’s activities in the country, the decision coming despite a petition by a Supreme Court lawyer and calls from student groups for such action in the wake of clashes that erupted after denial of bail to the organization’s “former” priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, who has emerged as a prominent advocate of rights of Hindus and other minorities in the predominantly Muslim nation.
The bench, consisting of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury, was informed by the attorney general’s office that “necessary actions” had already been taken. The court expressed hope the govt would remain vigilant in safeguarding law and order, including atrocities on minorities, particularly Hindus.
“Right at this moment, the situation does not warrant the intervention of the (high) court as the State is carrying out its job (regarding the matter),” Justice Mahbub was quoted as saying by a HC spokesperson.
Soon after the high court verdict, Iskcon once again distanced itself from the arrested monk and clarified that Das’s activities were “not representative” of the organization. Iskcon Bangladesh general secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari said Chinmoy Krishna Das, along with Lilraj Gaur Das and Swatantra Gauranga Das, were expelled from Iskcon on Oct 3 for disciplinary reasons.
However, Iskcon Kolkata‘s vice president Radharamn Das said the jailed former office-bearer was still “very much a devotee and monk of Iskcon”.
He displayed pictures of Krishna devotees holding posters with the message, “We are not terrorists”, and the hashtag “BANgladesh, don’t ban Iskcon”.