Bangladesh Freezes Accounts Linked to ISKCON Amid Controversy

Bangladesh's financial authorities have frozen bank accounts of 17 ISKCON associates, including former member Chinmoy Krishna Das, amidst ongoing legal issues. The action follows Das's arrest on sedition charges and a deadly clash involving his supporters. The freeze involves a comprehensive account investigation by banks.

Bangladesh's financial authorities have decisively frozen the bank accounts of 17 individuals linked with ISKCON, including former member Chinmoy Krishna Das, as reported by local media on Friday. The Bangladesh Bank's Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) issued directives to numerous banks and financial institutions on Thursday, halting all transactions in these accounts for a period of 30 days, according to a report by Prothom Alo newspaper.

The directive from BFIU mandates that banks and financial entities submit detailed account information, including updated transaction records of all accounts tied to businesses owned by these 17 individuals within three working days.

Notably, Das, who served as a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was apprehended at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Involved in a sedition case, Das was subsequently denied bail by a Chattogram court and transferred to jail. This incident follows deadly altercations between law enforcement and supporters of the Hindu leader, enhancing tensions surrounding the case. Das previously held the role of spokesperson for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh.

(With inputs from agencies.)