Kolkata Hospital Halts Treatment of Bangladeshi Patients Following Temple Attacks

On Friday, Kolkata’s JN Ray Hospital declared it would indefinitely halt admissions of Bangladeshi patients. The move is a protest against reported anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh and disrespect towards the Indian flag by Bangladeshi nationals. The hospital, located in the Manicktala area, expressed its reasons for the move, citing “insults towards India.” Subhranshu Bhakt, an official at the hospital, explained, “From today, we will not admit any Bangladeshi patient. This is a protest against the atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh and the disrespect shown to our tricolour.” He also urged other hospitals in Kolkata to adopt the same stance.

This move comes in the wake of rising tensions, particularly following the attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh’s Chattogram. On Friday, a mob vandalized three temples—Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, Shoni Temple, and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple—in the Harish Chandra Munsef Lane area. The assault, which took place around 2:30 pm, involved several hundred people hurling bricks at the temples, according to BDNews24.com. While Kotwali Police Station chief Abdul Karim confirmed minimal damage, he noted that tensions were high. Tapan Das, a temple committee member, shared, “A procession of hundreds arrived after Juma prayers, shouting anti-Hindu and anti-ISKCON slogans. We called the Army when the situation worsened, and order was eventually restored.”

These temple attacks follow the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former ISKCON member, on sedition charges. His arrest and the denial of bail sparked protests by the Hindu community across Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram.

In response to the violence, India has expressed serious concerns. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told Parliament, “The surge in extremist rhetoric and violence is unacceptable. It is Bangladesh’s responsibility to protect its minorities.” Meanwhile, Bangladesh has expressed concerns over protests outside its deputy high commission in Kolkata, urging India to ensure the protection of its diplomatic missions.