West Bengal Monks Protest At Indo-Bangladesh Border Against Attacks On Hindus, Demand Release Of Hindu Spiritual Leader

Over 1,000 monks from various parts of West Bengal gathered on Monday (2 December) near the Petrapole border in North 24 Parganas to protest against attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh and to demand the release of detained spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.

The demonstration was organised under the banner of the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, with participants arriving at the protest site, situated approximately 800 meters from the Petrapole border checkpoint, earlier in the day.

West Bengal BJP leaders, including the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also reached the spot and said, "A blockade is going on. This will go on for 24 hours, starting 6 am today. They should stop damaging temples, otherwise there will be a massive agitation."

Calling the interim government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, Adhikar said, "It is a radical, extremist and anti-Hindu government. They are trying to destroy temples and illegally detaining Hindu monks and saints"

“We will form a human chain and protest to convey our message of peace to the Indian government and the Bangladesh dispensation, demanding an immediate stop of atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh,” said one of the monks at the protest site.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has also been actively involved, organising prayer meetings and kirtans at its Albert Road center in Kolkata, expressing solidarity with the affected community and calling for Das's release.

Reports indicate that since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on 5 August, minority Hindus in Bangladesh, comprising around 8 per cent of the nation’s 17 crore population, have faced over 200 attacks across more than 50 districts.

Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu spiritual leader, was arrested in Bangladesh on sedition charges and denied bail, sparking protests across the country, including in Dhaka and Chattogram.

Despite the protests, officials reported that cargo movement at the Petrapole border remained unaffected on Monday.

“On average, 400 trucks are heading to the Benapole border (Bangladesh), and around 150 trucks are entering India. Additionally, 5,000-6,000 people are crossing the border daily, though this is lower than the usual 7,000-8,000,” a senior official noted.