Minor Hindu Girl Flees to India After Threats in Bangladesh for Being ISKCON Devotee

Kolkata: A seventeen-year-old Hindu girl from Bangladesh, an ISKCON devotee, ran through the night and crossed over to the Indian side after being allegedly threatened by fundamentalists, who was later detained by BSF officials and was handed over to the West Bengal police, news agency PTI reported. 

She said her family had been facing threats for being from the minority community for the past several weeks, but the situation escalated when fundamentalists threatened to kidnap her and kill the rest of her family afterwards, she decided to run away from her country.

With no certainty of how long it might take her to legally flee to India, she decided to run to the border and cross it on foot. The minor girl was caught by the Border Security Force (BSF) and sent to juvenile custody, where she narrated the escape.

According to the police, the teenage girl crossed over illegally from the border in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district. She claimed to have some relatives living in India and was apparently heading for their residence.

Though she has given her statement narrating her ordeal, the police want to be certain and not just take things at face value. They are now investigating the matter and also want to find out if she was accompanied or helped by someone in crossing the border.

"The girl has some relatives in Jalpaiguri district. We have gotten in touch with them, we are trying to find out who helped her in crossing the border." the investigating officer said.  

"The girl is a resident of Panchagarh district in Bangladesh. She crossed the border on foot but was spotted by the BSF soldiers near the Fatehpur Border outpost in Uttar Dinajpur's Chopra block," the police officer said.

Speaking to the PTI one of the relatives of the teenage girl who is residing in India stated, "She and her family are devotees of ISKCON. Fundamentalists threatened to kidnap her and murder the rest of the family. They were planning to send her here for her safety. She was planning to come to India, but we had no confirmation about the date."

The relative also mentioned that the girl's father has been suffering from health issues for an extended period.

'Hindus Targeted': Bangladesh Admits to 88 Incidents of Minority Violence Post-Hasina Exit

Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh government on Tuesday acknowledged incidents of violence against minorities, primarily Hindus in the country following the ouster of then-premier Sheikh Hasina in August this year.

Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam in a press brief stated that a total of 88 incidents of violence related to minorities have been filed from August 5 to October 22. He added that 70 people have been arrested in those incidents.

This disclosure comes a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flagged regrettable incidents of attacks on minorities and conveyed India's concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meetings with the Bangladeshi leadership.

"The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in (northeastern Sunamganj, (central) Gazipur, and other areas," he said.

ISKCON Monk Chinmoy Prabhu Arrested

Chinmoy Prabhu, also revered as Sri Chinmay Krishna Das Prabhu, a Hindu leader of Bangladesh, a monk of the ISKCON temple, and the voice of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, has been arrested by Dhaka police for holding a peaceful protest on Monday.

Hindu Monk Chinmoy Prabhu was picked up from Dhaka Airport by Dhaka Police on Monday afternoon. According to sources Chinmay Prabhu has been taken to the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police office in Minto Road Dhaka.