Bangladesh court rejects bail plea of former Iskcon priest Chinmoy Das

A Bangladesh court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, Daily Star reported.

Led by advocate Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, the legal team of 11 lawyers defended Chinmoy, in a sedition case resulting from allegations of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag.

"Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam rejected the bail plea after hearing arguments from both sides for around 30 minutes", said Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan to The Daily Star.

Iskcon vice president Radharaman Das said that the rejection of Chinmoy's bail was unfortunate and the organisation will see why the judge refused the plea.

"We all were very hopeful that today he will get bail. He's a, you know, you know, he's a Brahmachari. He's a monk. And he was there, he was inside jail for last 42 years, 42 days. And we also heard that his health is not good. So we are very hopeful that the judge will grant him bail," he said.

"But if his bail has been rejected, then this is very unfortunate. Whole world was looking towards this hearing and, and we are waiting. We'll see why the judge refused his bail," he added.


Also read: Hope, prayers in Kolkata before Bangladesh monk’s bail hearing

Who is Chinmoy Krishna Das?
Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested and then denied bail in a sedition case, serves as the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, a group that champions the rights and security of minorities.

He has been a vocal advocate for the Hindu (Sanatani) community in Bangladesh, calling for key reforms such as a minority protection law, a tribunal for fast-tracking cases of minority persecution, and the establishment of a dedicated ministry of minority affairs.

He gained widespread attention for organizing large public rallies, including one in Chittagong on October 25 and another in Rangpur on November 22, which sparked significant socio-political discussions across the country.

Why was Das arrested?
He was arrested following a sedition case was filed against him and 18 others at in Chittagong on October 30. The charges were linked to the hoisting of a saffron flag above Bangladesh's official flag during the October 25 rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram.

Also read: 20 lawyers from Dhaka and Chittagong to argue for monk’s bail

Das was presented before a Chittagong court, where his bail plea was denied, and he was sent into custody.

The arrest triggered widespread outrage, with many demanding his immediate release. "Since I am defending Chinmoy Das Prabhu, I am aware that false cases could be filed against me, and there is also a threat to my life," Rabindra Ghosh said earlier. Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, Rabindra Ghosh was admitted to the state-run SSKM hospital here after he complained of chest pain, hospital sources said. The 88-year-old lawyer was under observation at the cardiology department, they said.

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