By Sazzad Haider
Chinmoy Krishna Das, who heads the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote, is not a prominent leader among the Hindus of Bangladesh – nor is a member of the controversial Hindu organization ISKCON – he has actually been expelled from this organization due to various charges. Prior to the political change in Bangladesh last August, he was not a topic of discussion. After August, he suddenly emerged on the scene and, called for protecting Hindus, held numerous programs that spread communal hatred. This led to fears of widespread conflict and violence in this non-communal Bangladesh, a country known for its communal harmony. Consequently, Bangladesh had no choice but to take action against such a man.
Bangladesh’s relations with neighboring India is strained. Indian BJP led government (According to Bengal Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee “the Centre has a different perspective on a particular religion and is vindictive towards one religion.”) sought to pressure Bangladesh by using Chinmoy as a pawn. Therefore following Chinmoy’s arrest the Indian Ministry of External Affairs demanded the release of him, who was accused in a criminal case and faced charges of moral turpitude. Bangladesh perceived this statement as interference in its internal affairs. It is worth noting that Hasina, who is a fugitive in India, has sought Chinmoy’s release in line with India’s demands. The statement indicates that Bangladesh will not be able to judge whether Chinmoy is a criminal or not. Hasina’s statement suggests that either Chinmoy is acting on behalf of followers or he is directly associated her, with the agenda of inciting communal unrest to benefit the Awami League and protect Indian interest.
Hasina made some other unproven allegations in her statement, saying, “A temple was burnt in Chittagong. Earlier, mosques, mazars, churches, monasteries and houses of the Ahmadiyya community were attacked, vandalized, looted and burnt”.
India has offered refuge to a tyrannical leader like Sheikh Hasina, primarily for its own strategic interests. Over the past fifteen years, Hasina has entered into numerous agreements with India that prioritize Indian benefits at the expense of her own nation’s welfare. Even if Sheikh Hasina is unable to regain power, she can still be utilized to exert pressure on Bangladesh in favor of Indian interests. The BJP government in India is actively pursuing this agenda. In addition to providing political asylum to Hasina, India is enabling her to engage in activities detrimental to Bangladesh. The BJP has ascended to power by exploiting communal tensions and is now once again attempting to undermine the communal harmony within Bangladesh.
Das was allegedly linked to the acid attack on army and police personnel in the Hazari Lane incident in Chittagong in November 2024. Other charges against him include occupying a pond belonging to BNP vice chairman Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin in Hathazari, Chittagong.
In 2023, Das was also accused of child sexual abuse, for which ISKCON’s UK-based International Child Protection Office ordered him to stay away from anyone under the age of 18. He was also temporarily suspended from the organization and banned from performing religious rituals. At a press conference in 2024, Hrishikesh Gourango Das, a member of ISKCON Bangladesh’s child protection team, said that several children had accused Chinmoy Das of abuse, and that he had been suspended from the organization and the position of Pundorik Dham for three months to investigate the matter. In July 2024, he was expelled from ISKCON for violating organizational discipline during his tenure as divisional organizational secretary for Chittagong.
The officials of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs are recognized globally for their astuteness. However, these officials overlooked the criminal conduct of Chinmoy prior to making such statements. By aligning with a child abuser and an individual who has unlawfully appropriated others’ property, India is inadvertently providing support to criminals from another nation. For India to foster positive relations with Bangladesh, India must grasp the true circumstances at hand.
About the Author:
Sazzad Haider is Writer & journalist, lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is Editor-in-Chief of Diplomatic Journal.
