Bangladesh Court Denies Early Bail Hearing For Hindu Monk Chinmoy Das

A court in Bangladesh’s Chittagong turned down a plea to reschedule the bail hearing of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, citing procedural issues. Chinmoy, the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaron Jote and a former ISKCON priest was arrested at Dhaka Airport on November 25 on charges of sedition.

The court dismissed the plea on grounds that the lawyer who submitted it lacked proper authorization. According to the court, Chinmoy had not granted the requisite power of attorney to the lawyer, Rabindra Ghosh, who had filed the petition.

Rabindra Ghosh, a senior lawyer at the Bangladesh Supreme Court and a human rights activist, travelled to Chittagong to advocate for an earlier hearing date. Describing the courtroom scene, Ghosh said, "I moved an application to Chittagong court to fix an early date for bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das but at that time about 30 lawyers entered the courtroom without the permission of the court and tried to assault me."

Ghosh added, "They taunt me as ISKCON agent, Chinmoy's agent. They want to know why I came here. They say, a lawyer was killed. They call me a murderer. I came as an advocate. How am I a murderer!"

He further explained, "The judge scolded them. They could not attack me because of the police were there."

What Happened?

The courtroom drama comes amid heightened tensions following the November 26 incident when Chinmoy's initial bail plea was denied. After the decision, his followers protested by blocking his prison van, leading to clashes with police. During the unrest, a lawyer, Saiful Islam Alif, was killed.

Explaining his role, Ghosh said, "Chinmoy's lawyer could not attend the hearing as the murder case was filed in the lawyer's name. I applied on his behalf." He also stated, "After rejecting my plea, I went to the jail and collected the power from Chinmoy to move his case. The jail superintendent has confirmed on the copy of the power. I will apply to the court again on Thursday."

Chinmoy remains in custody as his followers continue to demand his release. A Chittagong court had previously set January 2 as the date for his next bail hearing, noting the absence of legal representation during the earlier proceedings.

Also Read: Bangladesh: Arrested Hindu Monk Chinmoy Das's Bail Hearing Delayed