ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das on Saturday claimed that two more Hindu priests were arrested in Bangladesh days after the protests and violence in the country intensifies over arrest of Hindu monk in Chattogram. otso

Three Hindu temples were reportedly vandalised by mob on Friday in Chattogram.

The atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and images of the Indian flag being disrespected there has created a tense atmosphere between the two neighbouring countries.

A Kolkata hospital has said it would not treat patients from Bangladesh and right wing leaders in India have urged the authorities in the foreign land to protect the Hindu citizens.

Spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of ISKCON Bangladesh, was arrested on Monday in connection with a sedition case and denied bail on Tuesday.

This led to protests by Hindu community members in Dhaka and Chattogram.

The sedition case, filed on October 30, involved 19 individuals, including Das, who were accused of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag during a Hindu community rally in Chattogram's New Market area.

India on Friday expressed concern over the rise in extremist sentiment and violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, urging the interim government to protect minority communities and address the increasing attacks on Hindus and temples.

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Radharamn Das spoke to PTI and said, "I have received information that two more ISKCON monks have been arrested by police in Bangladesh."

In a post on X on Friday night, Radharamn said, "In the meantime, bad news has come: two devotees who went with prasad for Chinmaya Prabhu were arrested on their way back to the temple, and Chinmaya prabhu's secretary is also missing. Please pray for them."

Earlier on Friday, Radharamn had posted, "Another Brahmachari, Sri Shyam Das Prabhu, was arrested by Chattogram Police today."

"Does he look like a terrorist? #FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh. The arrest of innocent #ISKCON brahmacharis are deeply shocking & disturbing," Radharamn posted on X on Saturday.

His comments comes comes in the backdrop of unconfirmed reports of arrest of three more ISKCON monks, days after the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmay Das.

Three Hindu temples were vandalised by a slogan-shouting mob on Friday in Bangladesh’s Chattogram which has witnessed protests and violence since a former ISKCON member was booked under sedition charges.

According to local news portal BDNews24.com, the attack took place around 2:30 pm in the port city's Harish Chandra Munsef Lane, where the Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, the nearby Shoni Temple, and the Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted.

"A group of several hundred slogan-shouting people threw brickbats at the temples, damaging the Shoni Temple and the gates of the other two temples," the news portal quoted temple authorities as saying.

Kotwali Police Station chief Abdul Karim confirmed the attack, saying that assailants attempted to damage the temples.

Police, however, said the damage to the temples was minimal after the confrontation between the two sides, with both groups throwing brickbats at each other, reportedly.

A hospital in north Kolkata's Manicktala area on Friday said it would not treat patients from Bangladesh amid protests over the alleged atrocities on minority Hindus in the neighbouring country.

An official of the JN Ray Hospital told PTI that the decision was forced by insults meted out to the Indian flag by Bangladeshi nationals.

"We have issued a notification that from today till an indefinite time we will not admit any Bangladeshi patient for treatment. This is primarily because of the insults they have shown towards India," said hospital official Subhranshu Bhakt.

"Seeing the tricolour being insulted, we have decided to stop treating Bangladeshis. India has played an important role in their independence but despite that, we are witnessing anti-India sentiments. We hope other hospitals will support us and take similar steps," he added.

He urged other hospitals in the city to do the same as a mark of protest against the alleged atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh as the city hospitals usually see a lot of foreign patients on a regular basis.

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BJP leader alleged that Hindu businessmen in Bangladesh were facing a social boycott. "I call upon all fellow Indians, including residents of West Bengal, to show solidarity and moral support to the persecuted minorities in Bangladesh. There have been reports about attacks, intimidation and harassment of Hindu community members in different parts of Bangladesh in the last few months after the interim government took over, and such attacks have increased in the last couple of days," he said.

Condemning the alleged attacks on the Indian flag in the neighbouring country, he said, "For us, the sanctity of our tricolour is supreme. We respect the sovereignty of any other country, but we expect that our sovereignty and national pride are equally respected by others. Bangladesh's government must take appropriate actions. Otherwise, all kinds of economic transactions with that country will stop in future."

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday appealed to the Bangladesh interim government to ensure the atrocities on the Hindus are stopped and ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das is released from jail immediately.

RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale in a statement also appealed to the Indian government to continue its efforts to stop the atrocities on the Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and take necessary steps to build global opinion in its support "as soon as possible".

"The attacks, murders, looting, arson as well as inhuman atrocities by Islamic fundamentalists on Hindus, women and all other minorities in Bangladesh are extremely worrying and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh condemns thisotso," he said.

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