Over 1,000 monks from across West Bengal staged a demonstration at the Petrapole border in North 24 Parganas on Monday, demanding an end to reported attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh and the release of detained spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das. The protest, organised under the banner of the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, also urged decisive action from both the Indian and Bangladeshi governments.
The monks began assembling early in the morning, gathering about 800 meters from the Petrapole border checkpost. “We will form a human chain and protest to convey our message of peace to the Indian government and the Bangladesh administration, demanding an immediate stop to atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh,” said a participating monk.
Swami Paramatmananda, president of the Bengal chapter of the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, stated on Sunday that the agitation would persist until the Bangladesh government addresses the community’s concerns. “We will not back down until tangible steps are taken to safeguard Hindus and temples in Bangladesh,” he asserted.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has also joined the movement, organizing prayer meetings and kirtans at its Albert Road center in Kolkata to demand Das’s release and express solidarity with Hindus in Bangladesh.
The protests come in response to reports of over 200 attacks on Hindu minorities across 50 districts in Bangladesh since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5. Minority Hindus, who constitute about 8% of Bangladesh’s population, have reportedly faced escalating violence and persecution.
Despite the demonstrations, cargo and passenger movement at the Petrapole-Benapole border remained largely unaffected. “Around 400 trucks are heading to Bangladesh daily, while 150 trucks enter India. Passenger crossings are steady at 5,000–6,000 daily, slightly lower than the usual 7,000–8,000,” a senior official stated.
