Thousands of Islamists across Bangladesh took to the streets demanding a ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which they labeled an extremist Hindutva outfit. The rallies, organised after Friday prayers in Dhaka and Chattogram by hardline groups like Hefazat-e-Islam and Intifada Bangladesh, reflect a growing tide of anti-Hindu sentiment in the country. The protestors accused ISKCON of engaging in “subversive and extremist” activities, and called for it to be banned following a High Court petition where the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government itself described the organisation as “religiously fundamentalist.”

The demonstrations come amid rising violence against Hindu temples and ISKCON centres following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024. Several ISKCON leaders, including Krishna Das Prabhu, have been imprisoned, while multiple temples have faced vandalism. Islamist leaders at the rallies accused ISKCON of operating as an agent of India and following Israeli-style expansion, echoing anti-Semitic and anti-Indian rhetoric. The groups also demanded legal action against ISKCON members, alleging land grabbing and money laundering, despite the organisation’s long-standing reputation for humanitarian service in Bangladesh.

Founded in the 1970s, ISKCON has played a key role in Bangladesh’s social and charitable landscape through programs like Food for Life, orphanages, and free schools for underprivileged children of all faiths. However, its persecution today highlights the growing influence of Islamist organisations under Yunus’s caretaker regime, which critics say is increasingly aligned with religious hardliners. The calls to ban ISKCON underscore deepening communal divisions and a worrying decline in the safety and rights of religious minorities in post-Hasina Bangladesh.