A Bangladesh court has denied bail to Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested on sedition charges amid the continuing persecution of the minorities since Sheikh Hasina fled to India in August last year after a nationwide uprising against her regime.
The Chattogram court on Thursday rejected Chinmoy Krishna Das’ bail petition after hearing the two sides for 30 minutes.
Court Hearing
Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Apurba Bhattacharya and 10 others represented Das, who was arrested from the Dhaka airport while he was leaving the country in November last year, in the court.
Around 11:40 am, the 11 Supreme Court lawyers, led by Apurba Bhattacharya, departed from the court premises in two microbuses under police escort, reported The Daily Star.
Earlier in the day, they arrived at the court around 10:15 am to represent Chinmoy in the high-profile case. Despite their efforts, the court’s decision went against their plea, the report said.
Chinmoy Krishna Das was not brought before the court today.
Das’ lawyer Rabindra Ghosh, who was admitted to Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital on Tuesday evening, said the advocates will move the higher court.
“We will move to a higher court,” Ghosh told The Indian Express.
Attacks On Minorities
In Bangladesh, recent attacks against minority communities, particularly Hindus, started occurring following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
The violence has resulted in numerous incidents of looting, arson, and murder, with reports suggesting that over 88 attacks officially have taken place, primarily targeting Hindus.
The Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported that from Aug 4 to Aug 20, a total of 2,010 incidents (including 69 temples) of attacks on minorities took place across Bangladesh.
The situation escalated when Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a prominent International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) monk and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested by Dhaka police for allegedly disrespecting the Bangladeshi flag at a rally in October.
The arrest has sparked outrage across India and among Hindu leaders worldwide, with many criticizing the move as “unfortunate” and “cowardly”.
Following Das’ arrest, two other monks were reportedly arrested in India’s neighbouring country.
(with inputs from IBNS)
