ISKCON Members Denied Entry: Border Tensions Rise

Dozens of ISKCON members with valid travel documents were denied entry into India at Bangladesh's Benapole border. Despite having valid passports and visas, they lacked specific government permission. The incident occurs amid scrutiny of ISKCON following a sedition charge against Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.

Dozens of ISKCON members carrying valid travel documents were barred from entering India by Bangladesh's immigration police at the Benapole border, according to a media report on Sunday.

Imtiaz Ahsanul Quader Bhuiyan, the officer-in-charge of the Benapole Immigration Police, stated that higher authorities instructed them not to permit the crossing. Although the ISKCON members had valid passports and visas, they were missing required government permissions.

This incident coincides with intensified scrutiny of ISKCON in Bangladesh, coming after the sedition-related arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das. The situation worsened with the killing of a lawyer during protests in Chattogram, leading to calls for a ban on ISKCON and the freezing of bank accounts of several associates.

(With inputs from agencies.)