UK MP: Religious Freedom Must Be Protected Amid Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

U.K. Conservative MP Bob Blackman strongly criticized the Bangladeshi interim government for the attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh following the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August this year.

"I condemn the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and the imprisonment of Chinmoy Krishna Das. Religious freedom must be protected worldwide," the MP wrote on X. He also expressed concern over the attempt in Bangladesh's High Court to ban the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), calling it a direct threat to the country’s minorities.

“There’s an attempt in their courts to ban ISKCON, which is a clear attack on minorities in Bangladesh,” he said. “We have fought for the freedom of Bangladeshis, and we cannot allow any government to persecute minorities there."

Chinmoy Krishna, also known as Krishna Prabhu Das, was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday at 4:30 pm. He was involved with both the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajot (BJHM), a national alliance of 23 religious organizations, and ISKCON.

Following news of his arrest, protests erupted in Chittagong, with demonstrators calling for his immediate release. Videos circulating on social media showed Bangladeshi police targeting protesters marching toward the Cheragi intersection, where they chanted slogans for his release.

Since the interim government assumed power on August 8 under Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, the Hindu community has faced repeated incidents of vandalism, looting, arson, land grabbing, and threats of expulsion. The Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad had earlier sent an open letter to Yunus, expressing deep concern over the violence directed at minorities.