B'desh court refuses to ban Iskcon; Free priest: Hasina

The Bangladesh high court on Thursday rejected a petition seeking a ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), even as deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina demanded the immediate release of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested on sedition charges earlier this week.

"A top leader of the Sanatan religious community has been unjustly arrested. He must be released immediately," Hasina said in a statement in Bengali posted on her Awami League party's X account, echoing India's growing concerns over the safety of the minority community in the neighbouring country.

A two-member high court bench of justices Farah Mahbub and Debashish Roy Chowdhury declined to ban Iskcon activities after reviewing a government report on the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif during clashes between security forces and Das's supporters in the northeastern port city of Chattogram.

"Right at this moment, the situation does not warrant the intervention of the (High) court as the State is carrying out its job," justice Mahbub said, according to a spokesperson from the attorney general's office.

In a statement, Hasina's party said the "unlawful arrest of a popular Hindu priest, the denial of bail and refusal of the regime advisors to acknowledge of violence showed minorities right to freedom of speech, assembly and protection have been trampled completely."

Hasina, who fled to India on August 5 following mass protests against her government, also condemned Alif's killing, calling the perpetrators "terrorists" and criticised Muhammad "unconstitutional" Yunus's interim government for failing to protect citizens.