Bangladesh: No relief for spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, Chattogram court rejects bail plea

The bail request was turned down by Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam after about 30 minutes of hearing both parties'' arguments, according to Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan.

Earlier today, 11 Supreme Court lawyers were set to participate in the bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das.

While speaking to The Daily Star, lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee had said, "We have come to Chattogram under the banner of Ainjibi Oikya Parishad, and we will move for Chinmoy in the court for his bail. I already got the Vakalatnama from Chinmoy. I''m a member of both the Supreme Court and Chattogram Bar associations, so I don''t need authorisation from any local lawyer to move the case."

Earlier on December 3, 2024, Chittagong court had fixed January 2 for bail hearing as the prosecution submitted a time petition and there was no lawyer to represent Chinmoy.

The unrest in Bangladesh stems from the sedition charges filed against Chinmoy Krishna Das for allegedly raising a saffron flag above Bangladesh''s national flag in Chittagong on October 25. His arrest on November 25 sparked protests, culminating in violent clashes between his followers and law enforcement outside the Chattogram Court Building on November 27, which resulted in the death of a lawyer.

The situation worsened following additional arrests. According to ISKCON Kolkata, two monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, were detained on November 29 after visiting Chinmoy Krishna Das in custody. The organisation''s Vice President, Radha Raman, also claimed that rioters vandalised an ISKCON centre in Bangladesh during the unrest.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had also voiced concern over escalating violence and extremist rhetoric in Bangladesh, emphasising that it has consistently raised the issue of targeted attacks on minorities with Dhaka. (ANI)