Bangladesh authorities turn back 54 ISKCON devotees attempting to cross into India for religious event: Report

Bangladeshi immigration authorities sent back 54 members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Sunday (Dec. 1) from the Benapole border checkpoint despite possessing valid travel documents for their intended journey to India.

The Bangladesh police did not let them proceed further citing "suspicious travel" as the reason, as per local media reports.

Reportedly, Hindu devotees from several parts of the country, on Saturday (Nov. 30), had arrived at the land port, along the international border as they were intending to participate in a religious ceremony in India.

"We consulted the Special Branch of Police and received instructions from the higher authorities not to permit them," Benapole Immigration Checkpost Officer-in-Charge (OC) Imtiaz Ahsanul Quader Bhuiya said as per Bangladesh's Daily Star.

Bhuiya claimed that the Bangladeshi police did not permit 54 ISKCON devotees to cross into India, citing "suspicions regarding their travel purposes".

Several members of the group were also made to wait at the checkpoint since Saturday night before they were turned back on Sunday.

"We were going to participate in a religious ceremony in India, but immigration officials stopped us, citing the absence of government permission," said Saurabh Tapandar Cheli, one of the Iskcon members.

Also read: Bangladesh freezes 17 bank accounts linked to ISKCON amid rising attacks on Hindus

ISKCON centre vandalised, two more priests detained in Bangladesh

This comes after Bangladesh authorities detained two more monks associated with the Hindu spiritual organisation ISKCON.

Radharaman Das, a spokesperson for ISKCON Kolkata, claimed Saturday (Nov. 30) that a centre of the Hindu group was also vandalised by a mob. 

Earlier, Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das was detained under sedition charges.

The two ISKCON priests were identified as Rudraproti Kesab Das and Ranga Nath Syama Sundor Das and were detained as they went to meet Chinmoy in jail. Calling their detention deeply shocking, Radharaman called for their immediate release in a post on X.

"Does he look like a terrorist? The arrest of innocent Iskcon brahmacharis is deeply shocking and disturbing," Radharaman Das posted with the hashtag "FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh". The spokesperson also posted a video showing a mob vandalising an ISKCON centre, with the caption: "No respite in sight". Bangladesh authorities are yet to confirm the detention of the young priest.

(With inputs from agencies)