The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Saturday alleged that its centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh, was set on fire earlier in the day.
ISKCON’s Kolkata Vice President, Radharamn Das, shared details in a post on X, stating, “The ISKCON Namhatta Centre in Bangladesh was burned down. The deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan and all items inside the temple were completely destroyed in the fire. The centre is located in Dhaka.”
According to Das, between 2 and 3 AM on Saturday, miscreants set fire to both the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple and the Shri Shri Mahabhagya Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which are part of the Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha in Dhour village, located under the jurisdiction of Turag Police Station in Dhaka district.“
The attackers lifted the tin roof at the back of the temple and used petrol or octane to start the fire,” Das added, revealing the exact address of the incident: H-02, R-05, Ward-54, DNCC, Dhaka 1230.
Das further reported that attacks targeting the ISKCON community in Bangladesh have continued unabated. Despite efforts to draw attention from the interim government, he said, “Not much has been done by the police and administration to address our concerns.”
This incident is part of a broader trend of rising violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, particularly since the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took office after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s regime in August.
Over the past four months, ISKCON properties across Bangladesh have faced multiple attacks. The surge in extremism and violence against Hindus has prompted concern from neighboring India. Last week, India called on the Bangladesh government to fulfill its responsibility to protect all minorities, expressing concern over the growing number of violent incidents and extremist rhetoric.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the Bangladesh government’s duty to protect its citizens, including minorities, stating, “The primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the Government of Bangladesh.”
In recent weeks, the situation has further escalated. On November 25, Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former ISKCON member, was arrested, sparking protests from his supporters. Demonstrations continued in Chattogram after the death of government prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif, who was killed during protests following the denial of bail to the monk.
On December 3, a Bangladesh court postponed the hearing on Das’s bail petition, as no lawyer appeared on his behalf.
