TDS Desk:

Former ISKCON leader Chandan Kumar Dhar, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, was sent to jail by a Chattogram court in a case filed in charge of disrespecting the national flag.

Chinmoy Krishna Das is a spokesperson of the Sanatan Jagaran Mancha and leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon). He also heads an Iskcon-operated religious site named Pundarik Dham in Chattogram. He was detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

He was charged in a sedition case filed against him and 18 others for allegedly hoisting a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag at the New Market intersection in Chittagong on October 25.

However, this time, sensational information has been revealed about Chinmoy through media investigations.

Investigations revealed that Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was placed under a temporary ban by ISKCON’s International Child Protection Office (ICPO) in the wake of specific allegations.

The ban was imposed in a letter issued by ISKCON’s CPT in the UK on October 6 last year. The organization has said that the ban has not yet been lifted.

The letter states that the ISKCON International Child Protection Office has imposed a temporary ban on Chinmoy Krishna Das (legal name Chandan Dhar), the principal of Pundarik Dham in Hathazari, Chattogram. The ban will be effective immediately.

The letter, signed by CPT Director Kamlesh Krishna Das, states that as a result of the ban, Chinmoy will not be able to hold any management or leadership position in ISKCON. He will not be able to demonstrate any kirtan or take classes. He will not participate in any public worship of Srila Prabhupada. He will not communicate with anyone under the age of 18. He will not be able to spend the night on any ISKCON property except for a person from the ISKCON Core Committee of Bangladesh and an office-bearer of the CPT.

The ban is to be implemented within 10 days of receiving the letter. It is also asked to be notified immediately after implementation.

Meanwhile, when Kamlesh Krishna Das, another member of ISCON was asked about the authenticity of the letter, he said, we have received a complaint about Chinmoy Krishna Das. We impose a temporary ban on him under our international policy. The letter regarding the ban is true.

He also said that we had imposed this ban to investigate due to the nature of the complaint. However, due to certain limitations including his cooperation, the matter has not been resolved yet.