Sarjis, Hasnat demands banning ISKCON

The Anti-discrimination Student Movement has called on authorities concerned to ban ISKCON by declaring it a terrorist organisation, alleging that it is trying to create "chaos in Bangladesh under the prescription of India".

The platform's Convener Hasnat Abdullah made the demand on Wednesday (27 November) while addressing a rally in Tiger Pass square of Chattogram following the namaz-e-janaza of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, who was killed during a protest over the jailing of former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on Tuesday.

On the occasion, he also demanded that those responsible for the death of Saiful be arrested within 24 hours.

The student leader said, "We have not forgotten how this ISKCON has grown into a militant organisation in the last 16 years with the support and patronage of Awami League and is now creating unrest in Bangladesh under the prescription of India as a partner of dictatorship.

Sarjis Alam ‍said, "We have noted the people who were the most aggrieved when Sheikh Hasina fled the country. We have seen clearly that when Bangladesh was expected to experience severe instability following the revolution, our brothers from the madrasahs guarded the temples.

"We remember how they guarded the temples throughout the night of Aug 5 and offered Fajr prayers on the road near it. If someone perceives this compassion as indulgence or favour, we want to tell them that not only the interim government, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, or Nagorik Committee, but also the entire Bangladesh will prevent those extremists."

He said the 'extremists' committed innumerable wrongdoings in the last 16 years and the fascist Awami League did not allow them to be publicised. Rather, they patronised or favoured the crimes done by ISKCON members and concealed the facts, he said. "But we have now seen their character. We saw how they slaughtered people yesterday."

Sarjis said that just as the people of Bangladesh were empathetic to all religions, they would not hesitate to stand against and combat extremists from any group.

Lack of exemplary punishment in the case would be a significant failure for the judiciary during the rule of the interim government, Sarjis said.