Bangladesh court denies bail to Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das

A court in Bangladesh on Thursday denied bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a former ISKCON monk and Hindu leader, during a high-security hearing in a sedition case.The Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge rejected the bail plea following a hearing, despite arguments presented by a team of 11 Supreme Court lawyers representing Das. Led by advocate Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, the legal team defended Chinmoy, in a sedition case resulting from allegations of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag.Chinmoy Krishna Das, who has been in custody for over a month, faces sedition charges stemming from allegations of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a Hindu community rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram on October 25 last year. The case was filed on October 30 by a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.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.Chinmoy Krishna Das' 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. The organisation's Vice President, Radha Raman, also claimed that rioters vandalised an ISKCON centre in Bangladesh during the unrest.Das, a member of the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Jote group and formerly associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, was among 19 individuals named in the complaint.The court proceedings were conducted under tight security due to the sensitive nature of the case.The sedition case has drawn significant attention, highlighting tensions over religious and political sensitivities in Bangladesh.