Bangladesh border authorities denied entry to 54 members of the Hindu spiritual organisation Iskcon, despite them having valid travel documents, reports say.
The group, including devotees from various districts, arrived at the Benapole border crossing on Saturday night and Sunday morning but were stopped after waiting for hours.
The authorities informed the group that their travel was not authorised, even though they had passports and visas. Immigration officials said that they had received orders from higher authorities not to allow the Iskcon members to cross into India. The officials stated that the group lacked the special government approval required for their travel.
One Iskcon member, Saurabh Tapandar Cheli, explained, "We came to participate in a religious ceremony in India but were stopped by immigration officials due to the lack of government permission."
This incident follows growing tensions in Bangladesh over Iskcon. The organisation has faced several actions, especially after the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former Iskcon member, in a sedition case.
His arrest led to violent protests that resulted in the death of a lawyer. Two other Hindu priests were also arrested during the protests.
Calls for banning Iskcon in Bangladesh have risen, though the Bangladeshi High Court has refused to do so. In addition, Bangladeshi authorities froze the bank accounts of 17 Iskcon affiliates, including Chinmoy Krishna Das, for 30 days.
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