The BRICS TimesThe call for an ISKCON Ban and rising anti-India sentiment is more than a religious issue. Experts say it forms part of a calculated political strategy.
The political environment in Bangladesh is growing very unstable and tense these days. Hardline organizations ramped up their activities before the February 2026 parliamentary elections. These groups are now targeting the religious body ISKCON and not only India. Student wings tied to Jamaat-e-Islami, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and Hefazat-e-Islam started nationwide protest rallies. These organizations accuse ISKCON of acting as an Indian agent. They are strongly demanding a complete ban against the group.
Rallies are taking place outside mosques from Dhaka, the capital, to Chattogram. Activists from these groups are appealing to the public to eliminate all Indian influence. This campaign is political as well as religious in nature. The ban placed on the Awami League completely changed Bangladesh’s power equation.
Allegations Against ISKCON Fuel Religious Polarization
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh leaders called ISKCON an “extremist Hindutva organization” at a large gathering in Chattogram. Maulana Ali Usman, the Central Nayeb-e-Amir, chaired the protest rally. He accused ISKCON of causing public unrest within society. He demanded that ISKCON also face a ban, similar to the action against the Awami League for its “political crimes.” He argued that peace and communal harmony are possible in the nation. This requires bringing organizations like ISKCON under the law.
ISKCON: An International Religious Movement
ISKCON is an international religious institution. It is based on devotion to Lord Krishna. The body has long been active in Bangladesh’s social and cultural spheres. However, it is now being targeted. Opponents call it an organization spreading Indian cultural influence. This current dispute is not restricted only to ISKCON. It reflects a wider conflict between nationalism and religion in Bangladesh’s internal politics.
