Dhaka: Hindu leader and former ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das failed to get any relief as a Bangladesh court rejected his bail plea on Thursday in a sedition case.
The bail request for Chinmoy Krishna Das was rejected by Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam following a 30-minute hearing, during which both sides presented their arguments, according to Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan.
Earlier today, 11 Supreme Court lawyers were set to represent Chinmoy during the bail hearing.
Speaking to The Daily Star, lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee stated, “We have come to Chattogram under the banner of Ainjibi Oikya Parishad, and we will argue for Chinmoy’s bail in court. I have already received the Vakalatnama from Chinmoy. As a member of both the Supreme Court and Chattogram Bar associations, I do not require authorisation from any local lawyer to handle the case.”
On December 3, 2024, the Chittagong court had scheduled the bail hearing for January 2 after the prosecution filed a time petition and no lawyer was available to represent Chinmoy at the time.
The unrest in Bangladesh stems from sedition charges against Chinmoy Krishna Das, accused of raising a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25. His arrest on November 25 led to widespread protests, which escalated into violent clashes between his followers and law enforcement outside the Chattogram Court Building on November 27, resulting in the death of a lawyer.
