Bangladeshi govt should take strict action, such incident should not happen in future: ISKCON Director
Oct 16, 2021
New Delhi [India], October 16 : ISKCON National Communication Director Vrajendra Nandan Das on Saturday urged the Bangladeshi government to take strict actions against the killing of ISKCON devotees, and vandalisation of the temples so that such incidents do not take place in the coming future.
ISKCON Director while talking to ANI said that during the incident, disciples cried for help, they called the police, but the police did not come.
"Whatever is happening in Bangladesh is wrong. One thing I want to clear is that they were neither terrorists nor goons, but they were people from the majority community. Our disciples were crying for help, even called the police but they did not come. They did arrive when all the violence, vandalism and ruckus were over," Das said.
Das said that the majority community in Bangladesh create ruckus whenever there are Hindu festivals.
"They killed our two disciples on the spot; another one's body was recovered from a pond near the temple. He was a good devotee, I saw his earlier pictures, he was a joyful devotee. They took him, killed him brutally and his body was recovered from the lake. This is really saddening," he said.
"This is not the first incident that happened in Bangladesh, incidents like this have been happening for a long time. Whenever there are Hindu festivals, the majority community in Bangladesh creates rucks," he said.
Das further said that ISKCON was celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Pramukhpad Ji and his statue was vandalised.
"This incident is condemnable. In the whole world, ISKCON is promoting the Hindu community, Sanatan Dharam and Sanskaar. We are celebrating the 125th anniversary of ISKCON's Pramukhpad Ji (Founder of ISKCON) and his statue was vandalised, how saddening thing it is. Whatever is happening, is wrong," he said.
He further advised the Bangladeshi government to take action against communal incidents that will deter perpetrators for such large-scale communal violence.
"It is clear that if the Bangladeshi government would have found a solution to small scale communal incidents earlier, this big incident would not have happened today. I urge the Bangladeshi government to take action in such a way that incidents like this do not happen in the future," Das added.
On Friday, a mob allegedly attacked an ISKCON temple in Bangladesh's Noakhali district and according to the community, one of its members was killed.
"It is with great grief that we share the news of an ISKCON member, Partha Das, who was brutally killed yesterday by a mob of over 200 people. His body was found in a pond next to the temple. We call on the Govt of Bangladesh for immediate action in this regard," the official Twitter handle of the ISKCON community said.
