The authorities cited "suspicious travel" as the reason for their refusal, although the ISKCON monks were not provided with clear explanations.

After the formation of the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus, have come under severe attack by Islamist extremists in the country.

Bangladesh's immigration police turned back 54 ISKCON members at the Benapole border, citing suspicious travel despite valid documents.

Amid growing tensions, dozens of ISKCON members have been denied permission to cross into India by Bangladesh Immigration despite valid passports and visas.

Bangladesh border authorities said they received instructions from higher authorities to deny entry to 54 members of the Hindu spiritual organization Iskcon into India.

KOLKATA: Sixty-three Iskcon monks, all Bangladeshis with valid travel documents, were prevented from crossing over to India on Saturday evening and Su.

A day after the second Hindu monk, Shyam Das Prabhu, was arrested in Bangladesh, two other disciples of arrested spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das have also gone missing in Chattogram, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das claimed on Saturday.

Two more ISKCON monks arrested in Bangladesh, following the arrest of another priest earlier this week. #FreeISKCONMonks

"We strongly protest such arrests and appeal to the Bangladesh government to give protection to minorities,” claimed Radharamn Das, the vice-president and spokesperson of ISKCON.

The Bangladesh government has arrested and imprisoned two monks from ISKCON under what appear to be false charges and these actions are reportedly retaliatory as the monks had led protests demanding protection for the lives and property of minority communities,