West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force in Bangladesh to protect religious minorities amid rising violence. She also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi's involvement in the situation.

Her plea comes after reports of growing unrest in Bangladesh, where three Hindu priests from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) have been arrested. The unrest began in August when a "student-led" movement forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign, leading to an Army-led interim government taking control. During his speech to the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, December 2, Banerjee showed support for those impacted saying, “We have families, properties and loved ones in Bangladesh. We respect the Indian government’s stance, but atrocities on religious grounds are unacceptable. The central government and the Prime Minister must intervene.”  

The Chief Minister mentioned that she had spoken with the head of ISKCON's Kolkata unit to offer help. She proposed that India could bring the issue to the United Nations to help send peacekeeping forces. She clarified that she was not getting involved in another country's internal matters, but noted that her government had previously provided humanitarian aid to Bangladeshi fishermen and victims of accidents in Indian waters.

PM Modi spoke with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about the matter last week. Jaishankar asked the interim administration of Bangladesh to protect religious minorities after their meeting. He stated in a speech to the Parliament that the Bangladeshi government is in charge of safeguarding all citizens, especially minorities. Additionally, the Indian High Commission has stated that it is keeping a careful eye on the situation in Dhaka.   

The interim government in Bangladesh, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has confirmed its dedication to protecting religious freedom for all its citizens. Two ISKCON priests were arrested on Saturday, and reports say that another devotee and the secretary of one of the priests are missing. The situation started when Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a former ISKCON member, was arrested on charges of sedition. Dhaka claims that his arrest was a misunderstanding.

Following this, protests by Hindu groups have broken out in Bangladesh, including in Dhaka and Chattogram. The protesters are demanding stronger legal protections and the creation of a ministry for minority affairs.