Bangladesh Court Rejects Jailed Monk Chinmoy Krishna Das' Bail Plea

Dhaka: A Chattogram court in Bangladesh on Thursday rejected the bail plea of former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, who was arrested on sedition charges.

Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions judge Md Saiful Islam denied the bail plea after hearing arguments from both sides for half an hour, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan told The Daily Star.

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Led by advocate Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, a legal team comprising 11 lawyers defended Das. His bail petition claimed that he had been arrested in a false and fabricated case.

Describing the update as “sad,” Radha Raman Das, Vice President of ISKON Kolkata, urged the neighbouring country’s government to ensure that Das got justice.

The former divisional organising secretary of ISKCON Chattogram was detained at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his alleged involvement in a sedition case filed in October in Chattogram. Local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Firoz Khan, accused Das and others of disrespecting the national flag during a rally.

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Das’ arrest triggered protests in Dhaka and Chittagong. Clashes broke out between his supporters and the police. ISKCON condemned the charges as “baseless” and stated, “We are a Bhakti movement with no ties to terrorism.”

Following the arrest the Indian Ministry expressed “deep concern” over Das’ arrest and highlighted “multiple attacks” on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, accusing the government of failing to act against perpetrators.