Sixty-three ISKCON monks, all Bangladeshis with valid travel documents, were barred from crossing into India on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Reports from several Bangladeshi media outlets and ISKCON Kolkata confirmed the development on Sunday.
The monks were stopped at the Benapole land port, located on the Bangladesh side of the international border, by Bangladeshi immigration authorities, citing “suspicious activities” as the reason for the intervention. Despite repeated attempts, no statement was provided by senior officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata as of late Sunday
The incident occurred as ISKCON devotees in Kolkata participated in a worldwide protest against alleged persecution of the group in Bangladesh.
According to reports from Bangladesh, the monks, hailing from various districts, arrived at the Benapole border over the weekend intending to travel to India for religious purposes. However, immigration authorities reportedly refused their passage over “suspicious travel”.
Speaking to the media, Saurabh Tapander Cheli, an ISKCON member, expressed his dismay, saying, “I came to attend a religious ceremony in India. But immigration authorities sent me back without giving any explanation.” Another devotee voiced similar frustration, stating that despite having plans to perform religious rituals in India, they were denied permission to cross the border without clear justification.
The Bangladeshi media quoted Imtiaz Md Ahsanul Quader Bhuiya, Officer-in-Charge of the Benapole Immigration check-post, who said, “We did not allow 54 Bangladeshi passengers to travel to India due to suspicions regarding travel purposes.” He reportedly refers to the monks stopped on Sunday, while the remaining nine were stopped on Saturday. No further explanation was provided regarding the specific nature of these suspicions or whether the individuals would be permitted to attempt the travel again.
Radharamn Das, Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata, said the monks were affiliated with different ISKCON units in Bangladesh and had chosen this period for a pilgrimage to India. He questioned the rationale behind the decision to stop them, despite their valid visas and documentation. “Considering the current situation in Bangladesh, they chose this period for a pilgrimage in India. I just wonder, on what grounds could they be disallowed from heading to another country despite having valid visas and other documents?” he said.
Das also highlighted the arrests of two other ISKCON monks, Ranganath Shyamsunder Das and Rudrapati Keshav Das, by Bangladeshi authorities on Friday. The monks were charged with sedition after reportedly delivering medicines to a fellow monk, Chinmoy, who is in prison. Sharing their photos in saffron attire and performing arati with a photo caption and hashtag #FreeISKCONMonks on social media, “Does he look like a terrorist? The arrest of innocent ISKCON brahmacharis is deeply shocking and disturbing.”
On Sunday, ISKCON devotees across more than 150 centres worldwide participated in prayer and protest, demanding the release of the detained monks. The global effort began with prayers at ISKCON’s Tokyo temple and continued through various time zones, including Vladivostok and other centres. “We have appealed to the world and the UN with no effect. Now, we can only pray before the Lord,” Radharamn Das said.
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