KOLKATA: Sixty-three Iskcon monks, all Bangladeshis with valid travel documents, were prevented from crossing over to India on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, several Bangladeshi media outlets and Iskcon Kolkata reported on Sunday.

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

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

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.

On Friday, a Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said India has conveyed its concern over the attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and pressed for a “fair and transparent trial” for Chinmoy Krishna Das.

ISKCON's mass prayers in hundreds of temples come in the backdrop of unconfirmed reports of the arrest of three more ISKCON priests, days after the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmay Das.

Bangladesh's immigration police on Sunday turned back 54 members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) who possessed valid travel documents and wanted to cross into India fro

"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.

ISKCON's statement disassociating itself from Chinmoy Krishna Das came after it faced ban calls in Bangladesh.