Sedition charge against Chinmoy Krishna Das "out of line, unwarranted, unwise", India should recognize situation is "far improved compared to August" & appreciate this is a country in transition: Editor, Dhaka Tribune, Zafar Sobhan
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In an interview to discuss the arrest of the ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das and India’s wider concern about attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh as well as desecration of temples and arson and looting of their properties, one of Bangladesh’s foremost editors, The Editor of the Dhaka Tribune, has said that “in relation to the alleged offence” the charge of sedition brought against Chinmoy Krishna Das is “out of line, unwarranted and unwise”.
However, in a 33-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Zafar Sobhan also forcefully pointed out that politicians, public opinion and social media in India need to realize and accept that the situation in Bangladesh for Hindus has “far improved compared to August and early September”. Mr. Sobhan accepts that in the immediate chaotic days following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster there were attacks on Hindus but that is not the case in the same way and scale any longer. Secondly, Mr. Sobhan said that India, “our neighbour, our friend, our ally”, needs to understand that Bangladesh is a country in transition and after the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina “autocracy” there will be a period of uncertainty and instability but, importantly, its being brought under control. He said reports in the Indian papers have exaggerated the treatment of Hindus in Bangladesh. This is why Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus calls such reports “propaganda”.
Mr. Sobhan also pointed out India’s hypocrisy where, on the one hand, it complains about the Iranian Supreme leader commenting adversely on the treatment of Muslims in India but feels free to itself comment adversely on the arrest and denial of bail to the ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.
This interview will give you a very different perspective on the situation in Bangladesh and I strongly recommend that you see it because it’s a view from Dhaka that is otherwise not available in the Indian press and certainly not in the Indian social media. Mr. Sobhan is frank and often outspoken, unafraid to be critical of his own government, but restrained, wise and mature in his assessment of the situation both in Bangladesh as well as that facing Hindus in that country. This is an important corrective to the prevailing view in India.
Here is the link to the interview:
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