ISKCON said on Monday that Advocate Ramen Roy, who had defended Bangladesh's Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in a legal case there, was brutally attacked in the neighbouring country and is now fighting for his life in a hospital.
According to ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das, Roy's only "fault" was that he defended Chinmoy Krishna Das in court, and a group of Islamists ransacked his home.
The attack left Roy critically injured and is currently fighting for his life in the ICU, according to ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson.
"Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life. #SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu," he posted on X along with a picture of Roy in ICU.
This is amid increased attacks on minorities in Bangladesh during the regime of Muhammad Yunus. He is the interim government since the collapse of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However since reports started emerging that minority groups are being targeted within Bangladesh, India through varied channels has asked the Bangladeshi government to ensure security for minorities.
Speaking to a Bengali news channel, Das, also ISKCON Kolkata Vice-President, said, "This brutal attack on advocate Roy is a direct consequence of his legal defence of Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu. It reflects the growing danger faced by those who defend the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh."
Chinmoy Krishna Das, a spokesman of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday while heading for Chattogram to participate in a rally.
On Tuesday, a court in the neighbouring country denied him bail and sent him to jail.
Historically, Hindus formed approximately 22% of Bangladesh's population during the 1971 Liberation War.
The Hindu population once formed a considerable percentage in Bangladesh, but over the years, it has dwindled drastically, and the minority community forms only about 8% of the total population.
The decline is more or less due to the socio-political marginalisation, exodus, and random violence over the years.
Earlier on Monday, according to reports, protesters were said to have stormed the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala protesting atrocities against minorities across the border.
The high commission breach came after a bus traveling from Agartala to Kolkata via Dhaka on Saturday reportedly had an attack in the Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh after being met with an accident on Vishwa Road.
The events also occur during rising tensions between India and Bangladesh, fueled by increased attacks against Hindus and their places of worship in Bangladesh after the departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this year.
The political instability of Bangladesh has coincided with a series of mob attacks. These incidents have intensified concern over the safety of the Hindu minority community.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry had said the Indian government has taken very seriously the incidents of attack on minorities and communicated to the Bangladesh authorities its concerns and feelings over the incidents.
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