Dhaka, Nov 29: Bangladesh on Friday expressed deep concern over the violent protest at the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and urged New Delhi to ensure safety of all its diplomatic missions in India.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also claimed that the Bangladesh flag and an effigy of the interim government chief Muhammad Yunus were burnt during the protest that turned violent on Thursday.
Members of Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch took out a rally to the office of Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata to protest attacks on the Hindu community and arrest of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh.
Friday’s statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that the protesters reached the boundary of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission and set fire to its national flag and burnt Yunus’ effigy and said it “strongly condemns the deplorable act.”
“Although the situation seems to be under control at the moment, there is a prevailing sense of insecurity among all the members of the Deputy High Commission,” the statement said.
The statement also called upon the government of India to take necessary measures to prevent occurrences of such incidents in the future.
It also urged the government of India to ensure safety and security of the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and other diplomatic missions in India as well as its diplomatic and non-diplomatic staff.
B’desh freezes bank accounts of 17 associated with ISKCON
Bangladesh’s authorities have ordered freezing for 30 days the bank accounts of 17 people associated with ISKCON, including its former member Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested this week on sedition charges, media reports said Friday.
The move comes after the Bangladesh High Court rejected a petition seeking a ban on International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), following the killing of a lawyer in a clash between the Hindu leader’s supporters and security personnel.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) sent these directives to different banks and financial institutions on Thursday, suspending all types of transactions related to these accounts for a month, newspaper Prothom Alo said.
The financial intelligence agency under the central Bangladesh Bank asked the banks and financial institutions to send information, including updated transaction statements of accounts related all businesses owned by these 17 individuals, within the next three working days, it said.
ISKCON Bangladesh refuted allegations linking it to the lawyer’s killing, saying the claims were baseless and part of a malicious campaign. (PTI)
