Supreme Court lawyer Al Mamun Russell has sent a legal notice demanding the ban of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) and the prosecution of those responsible for the murder of government legal officer Advocate Saiful Islam.
The notice, issued on behalf of 10 lawyers, was addressed to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Inspector General of Police on Wednesday.
The lawyers who signed the notice are Mofizur Rahman Mostafiz, Nizam Uddin, Abdul Hannan Bhuiyan Hriday, Touhidul Islam Shanto, Atikul Islam, Masum Billah, Russell Mahmud, Abdullah Al Mamun, Mahfuzur Rahman, and Al Momen.
The notice claims that Iskcon has been operating in Bangladesh as a radical organization, engaging in activities designed to provoke communal unrest.
Citing a book by former Bangladeshi intelligence officials, it alleges that Iskcon has been promoting religious events with the intent of inciting sectarian violence, imposing its beliefs on traditional Hindu communities, and forcibly recruiting members from lower Hindu castes.
It also accuses Iskcon of taking over Sanatan temples, evicting members of the Sanatan community, and carrying out communal attacks on mosques.
The notice references an incident at a mosque in Swamibagh, Dhaka, where Iskcon’s musical activities allegedly disrupted Taraweeh prayers.
When objections were raised, the group reportedly sought police intervention, which escalated into clashes.
Several other incidents were cited, including a 2009 clash at the Rashik Roy Jiu Temple in Thakurgaon, resulting in the death of one person, and a 2021 attack on employees of the Probortak Sangha in Chittagong by Iskcon supporters, leaving 12 people injured.
The notice also mentions allegations of firearms being discovered in an Iskcon temple in Sylhet in 2016 and attacks on police vehicles in Gopalganj during Iskcon processions.
The notice further alleges that after Iskcon leader Chinmoy Krishna was arrested for sedition on charges of disrespecting the national flag, members of the organization orchestrated the public murder of Advocate Saiful Islam, demonstrating a blatant disregard for law and order.
It accuses Iskcon of destabilizing the country and collaborating with Indian media to promote communal discord.
It claims that Iskcon has been banned in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, as well as in the former Soviet Union during the 1970s and 1980s.
Strict monitoring of its activities is reportedly in place in countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
The legal notice calls for the immediate ban of Iskcon in Bangladesh under Section 18 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, stating that its past and current activities meet the criteria for terrorist acts.
The notice warned that failure to take action could lead to communal violence and pose a threat to national sovereignty.