The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has ordered the freezing of bank accounts of 17 people associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) Bangladesh, including its former leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, for 30 days.

The BFIU, which operates under the aegis of the Bangladesh Bank, yesterday (November 28) sent this instruction to different banks and financial institutions in the country, suspending all types of transactions of any type in these accounts for a month, reports Prothom Alo.

The other 16 people are Kartik Chandra De, Anik Pal, Saroj Roy, Sushanta Das, Biswa Kumar Singha, Chandidas Bala, Jaydev Karmakar, Lipi Rani Karmakar, Sudhama Gaur Das, Laxman Kanti Das, Priyatosh Das, Rupan Das, Rupan Kumar Dhar, Ashish Purohit, Jagadish Chandra Adhikari and Sajal Das.

Meanwhile, the BFIU has asked banks and financial institutions to send account-related information – such as account opening forms, KYC forms, updated transaction records from inception, etc. – of all accounts of all types of owned businesses. by these 17 people in the next three working days.

On October 25, Chinmoy, Bangladesh spokesperson Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, also known as Chandan Kumar Dhar, was charged in a sedition case for allegedly disrespecting the national flag of Bangladesh by hoisting a saffron flag above during a rally organized by Bangladesh Sanatan. Jagaran Mancha in Chattogram city.

The case was filed by local BNP leader Firoz Khan, who was later expelled from the party over the issue.

Chinmoy, a former spokesperson of Iskcon Bangladesh, was arrested by police at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 4:30 pm last Monday (November 25).

The next day, at 11 am, Chinmoy was produced before a Chattogram court, which rejected his bail plea and sent him to jail.

A large group of people believed to be Chinmoy’s supporters blocked the prison van transporting him to prison for about two and a half hours. Police later dispersed the protesters by throwing stun grenades and took Chinmoy to prison.

Seriously injured during the protest, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was rescued from the alley of Rangam Convention Hall, opposite the main entrance of the court, and taken to hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

The incident led to several calls demanding a ban on Iskcon, which distanced itself from Chinmoy.