Hindu leader and ISKCON monk advocating for human rights for Hindus arrested amidst ongoing persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh 
24 November, 2024
Case Summary
On Monday, November 25, Bangladesh Police arrested a Hindu leader and ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari. Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu is the spokesperson of Bangladesh’s Sanatan Jagaran Manch and the chief of Pundarik Dham in Chittagong. Das is among the foremost leaders advocating for the safeguarding of minority rights in the predominantly Muslim nation. He was arrested on dubious charges of ‘sedition,’ reportedly for his uninhibited critique of violence targeting minorities, especially Hindus of Bangladesh. Over 19 individuals were charged with sedition for participating in a minority rights rally in Chittagong. As per reports, tensions have gripped several cities in Bangladesh following the arrest of Das.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. The second sub-category selected here is- Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victims. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. Further, the case has also been categorised as 'restriction on expression of Hindu identity'. An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. The arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent ISKCON monk and vocal advocate for Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, is a clear case of religiously motivated persecution, targeting him for opposing radical elements and raising his voice against the ongoing persecution of Hindus in the country. Das, who had been actively involved in defending the rights of Hindus and speaking out against their suffering under the current political climate, was detained by the authorities following dubious allegations of 'disrespecting the flag'. However, the arrest was clearly politically motivated, aiming to silence a key Hindu leader who had become a vocal critic of the discrimination and violence faced by Hindu communities in Bangladesh. Further, the timing of this arrest—coming after a series of escalating attacks on Hindu minorities and religious sites, and in the wake of growing communal tensions—suggests a pattern of targeted suppression of Hindu voices. The Bangladeshi government's actions against prominent Hindu figures like Das only exacerbate the persecution and serve to intimidate those speaking out against radical elements and the oppression of minorities. It is pertinent to note that after his arrest, Muslim radicals in Bangladesh have made murderous speeches against him and ISKCON itself demanding a ban on the religious sect and also, calling for the killing of Hindus. The Hindu monk was targeted for raising his voice against the atrocities being committed against his fellow Hindus. This makes it a clear act of religious intolerance and hatred, which is why this case has been included in the hate tracker.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
