Bangladesh High Court Dismisses Plea Seeking Ban On ISKCON Activities

The Bangladesh High Court on Thursday (28 November) rejected a plea to ban the ISKCON.

The court on Wednesday received a plea to ban the Hindu religious organisation's activities in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh High Court on Thursday said that it would not issue a suo motu order to prohibit the activities of ISKCON in Bangladesh, following assurances that relevant authorities have already taken appropriate steps in this regard.

During the proceedings, the court stressed the importance of the government maintaining vigilance to safeguard public safety, uphold law and order, and protect lives and property across the country, reported Bangladeshi news website The Daily Star.

This came after Bangladesh Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque and Deputy Attorney General Asad Uddin informed the HC bench that three separate cases have been filed in connection with the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif and ISKCON's activities, and 33 accused have been arrested in these cases.

Earlier on Wednesday (27 November), lawyer Monir Uddin placed some newspaper reports about ISKCON before the HC bench and prayed to the bench to issue a suo motu (voluntary) order on the government to ban its operations and impose Section 144 in Chattogram, Rangpur and Dinajpur.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh today refuted allegations linking the organisation to the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif during a protest against arrest of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Chattogram on Tuesday.

They said the claims were baseless and part of a malicious campaign.

At a press conference at ISKCON Bangladesh's headquarters, General Secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari said, "A series of false, fabricated, and malicious campaigns have been targeting ISKCON Bangladesh, particularly in connection with recent events. These efforts are aimed at discrediting our organisation and creating societal unrest."

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