Bangladesh Unrest: India Condemns Arrest of Hindu Priest, Hospitals Suspend Services to Bangladeshi Nationals (Image:X/me_ganesh14)
The past week has been tense in Bangladesh with unrest sparked by the arrest of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu on November 25.
The arrest led to protests by minority groups which turned violent and resulted in clashes with the police amid alleged anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. The Indian government has condemned the arrest and the situation remains volatile.
The arrest of Das who was charged with sedition for allegedly disrespecting the national flag has drawn widespread criticism.
The Indian government has urged the Bangladeshi government to ensure the safety of minorities. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed concern over the rise of “extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation” in Bangladesh.
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Today, two Hindu priests, Rudraproti Kesab Das and Ranga Nath Syama Sundor Das were arrested in Bangladesh.
The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kolkata’s Vice-President and spokesperson Radharaman Das questioned the move to arrest the monks and said that ISKCON devotees in over 150 countries will gather to chant and pray for the safety of Bangladeshi minorities.
Two leading hospitals in India, JN Ray Hospital and ILS Hospitals have decided to stop treating patients from Bangladesh. The decision comes after alleged incidents of disrespect to the Indian flag in Bangladesh.
Kolkata’s JN Ray Hospital was the first to announce the decision, with its director Subhranshu Bhakta saying, “The country is above all. Nothing can happen above the country.”
A statement issued by the hospital cited “insult towards India” as the reason for its move against Bangladeshi patients.
The decision comes on the heels of an alleged attack on Hindu temples amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh. The fresh tension started when Hindu monk Chinmoy Das was arrested by the police following allegations that the monk disrespected the national flag during a rally in Chittagong.
ILS Hospitals in Agartala followed suit, suspending its services to Bangladeshi nationals. An executive from the hospital expressed support for the decision, citing alleged mistreatment by Bangladeshi people.
The hospital’s chief operating officer, Gautam Hazarika also confirmed the closure of help desks at the Akhaura check post and ILS hospitals.
Massive protest outside Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata against the unjust arrest of Hindu Monk #ChinmoyKrishnaDas in Dhaka. pic.twitter.com/eJcRHqDqsX
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) November 28, 2024
The hospitals’ decisions come amid rising tensions after an Indo-Bangla international passenger bus was involved in an incident in Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria district.
The Tripura government alleged that the bus was attacked after it collided with a goods-carrying truck. Tripura Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that Indian passengers were threatened and anti-India slogans were raised.
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The ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh has also affected medical tourism to India. A senior representative from Narayana Health observed a sharp decline in Bangladeshi patients owing to visa issues and political instability.
“The numbers have gone down from 180-200 to 60. We apprehend more fall in these numbers in the coming weeks because of visa issues,” the representative said to the media.
In a related development, nine individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam during violence in Chattogram related to Das’s arrest.
(With inputs from agencies)
