ISKCON's Chinmoy Krishna Das to remain in jail till January 2 as Bangladesh court defers bail hearing
By Shweta Kumari | First Published Dec 3, 2024, 12:03 PM ISTThe bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, has been rescheduled for 2 January next year.
The bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, has been rescheduled for January 2 next year (2025). Currently imprisoned, ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on sedition charges, sparking massive outrage and protests worldwide. The court rejected his bail application as no lawyers appeared on his behalf in court.
Additionally, the Bangladesh government strongly opposed his bail request, leading the case to be postponed until January 2. The development means that Krishna Das will have to remain in jail for the next month.
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After an initial hearing on the bail petition on Tuesday, the judge set January 2 for another hearing, Chattogram Metropolitan Police ADC (Prosecution) Mofizur Rahman was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com.
Bangladesh | Next hearing in ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das arresting case to be on January 2, 2025.
— ANI (@ANI)Das was not brought to court for the hearing. A leader from the Chattogram Bar Association and other lawyers were seen holding a protest march on the court premises.
A court in Bangladesh had set December 3 as the date for the bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das, according to a media report. The hearing was supposed to be conducted by Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Saiful Islam, according to Additional Deputy Commissioner Mofizur Rahman of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police.
Chinmoy Das arrest
Das was arrested from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday for alleged sedition. He was denied bail and sent to jail by a Chattogram court on Tuesday, triggering protests by his supporters.
A lawyer was killed during violence in Bangladesh's southeastern port city of Chattogram over his arrest.
On October 30, a sedition case was filed against 19 people, including Das, at Chattogram's Kotwali Police Station, accusing them of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag in Chattogram's New Market area during a rally of the Hindu community.
Bangladesh's authorities on Thursday ordered freezing for 30 days the bank accounts of 17 people associated with International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), including its former member Das.
India-Bangladesh strained ties
The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August.
India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country.
There has been a rise in violent attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh. Hindu minority groups have been frequently reporting atrocities against their community members in different parts of Bangladesh, even after Yunus took charge.
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