A court in Chattogram has denied bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das, the former ISKCON leader, after a hearing today marked by heightened security, The Daily Star reported.
Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam turned down the bail request following a 30-minute hearing of both parties’ arguments, according to Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan.
Earlier, 11 Supreme Court lawyers had arrived to participate in the bail hearing for Chinmoy Krishna Das. Lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee confirmed the group’s participation, stating, “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.
As a member of both the Supreme Court and Chattogram Bar associations, I do not need authorization from any local lawyer to move the case.”
On December 3, 2024, the Chattogram court had set January 2 for the bail hearing after the prosecution requested additional time and there were no lawyers present to represent Chinmoy.
The controversy stems from the sedition charges filed against Chinmoy Krishna Das, who allegedly raised a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25.
His subsequent arrest on November 25 sparked widespread protests, which led to violent clashes between his supporters and law enforcement outside the Chattogram Court Building on November 27, resulting in the death of a lawyer.
The situation escalated after additional arrests, including two monks—Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari—who were detained on November 29 after visiting Chinmoy Krishna Das in custody. ISKCON’s Vice President, Radha Raman, also reported that rioters vandalized an ISKCON center in Bangladesh during the unrest.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed concern over the increasing violence and extremist rhetoric in Bangladesh, highlighting its ongoing efforts to raise the issue of targeted attacks on minorities with the government in Dhaka.
(With an ANI input)