Bangladesh court grants bail to jailed Hindu rights leader; release from prison unlikely

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 18:33:00 +0000

Chinmoy Krishna Das. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Bangladesh’s High Court on Sunday (August 2, 2026) granted bail to jailed Hindu rights leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in two cases, his lawyer said. But the bail would not ensure his immediate release from prison because he is accused in four other cases.

Mr. Das is a Hindu monk whose arrest in November 2024 on sedition charges for allegedly disrespecting the national flag sparked protests and communal tensions in Bangladesh. He was subsequently booked in several additional cases, including charges of murder, attempted murder and vandalism.

India back then expressed “deep concern” over the arrest and asked Dhaka to ensure the safety “of Hindus and all minorities”.

It came at a time when India-Bangladesh relations turned frosty following the August 2024 ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — driven by her asylum in New Delhi and political friction with the interim government.

“The (two-judge) High Court bench granted his bail petition in two cases involving charges of murder attempts, vandalism and obstructing officials in performing their duties,” Mr. Das’s lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya said on Sunday.

Both prosecution and defence lawyers said the decision of the Bench would not ensure Mr. Das’s release because of four more pending cases, including charges of treason and murder, against him.

The murder case concerns an incident in which a government prosecutor was hacked to death in the southeastern port city of Chattogram by activists protesting Mr. Das’s arrest.

Mr. Das, who was previously associated with ISKCON, is a spokesman for a group named Hindu group Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Jote. The group organised several rallies in Bangladesh, demanding minority rights, safety and protection from civil unrest in 2024 after the ouster of Hasina following a violent student-led street protest.

The cases against Mr. Das are in different stages in the courts.

His lawyers have sought bail for a while, saying Mr. Das was languishing in jail for a long time with ailments.

Several of his earlier bail petitions were either rejected or stayed.

Published – August 03, 2026 12:03 am IST

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Chinmoy Krishna Das’ bail plea: Bangladesh court rejects petition

admin — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 06:51:45 +0000

Members of the ‘Sarv Hindu Samaj’ during a protest against the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh and the alleged atrocities on Hindu minorities in the neighbouring country.
| Photo Credit: PTI

A Bangladesh court on Wednesday (December 12, 2024) rejected a plea to advance the hearing of arrested Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das’ bail petition in a sedition case, ruling that it would be heard as previously fixed on January 2.

Court officials said Chattogram Metropolitan Session Judge Saiful Islam rejected the plea as the lawyer who filed the petition seeking the advanced hearing did not have the power of attorney from the monk.

“Advocate Rabindra Ghose sought the advanced hearing when another lawyer informed the judge that he (Ghose) did not have any power of attorney to represent the monk. The judge then rejected the plea,” a court official said.

In his plea, Mr. Goshe said Mr. Das was arrested in a “false and fabricated case” while he had been suffering from diabetes, asthma and other issues.

The lawyer, however, admitted that he did not go to the prison to obtain a signed power of attorney from Mr. Das. “I will visit Chinmoy in the prison now and obtain the Vakalatnama (power of attorney),” he said.

The hearing was due to be held on December 3 when the court deferred the date to January 2, 2025, on a prosecution side suggestion as no lawyer appeared on his behalf.

An associate of Mr. Das in his Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, Sawtantra Gauranga Das earlier said no lawyer stood for the monk, fearing threats and pressure from a “politically motivated lawyers’ group”.

Mr. Das, a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25. The next day, a court in Chattogram sent him to jail, rejecting his bail petition as he was accused of a sedition charge for allegedly disrespecting the country’s flag.

His arrest sparked protests, with his followers demonstrating in Dhaka and other places while the protest turned violent in Chattogram, where a lawyer was killed.

The advocate’s death sparked a counter-campaign, demanding a ban on ISKCON, which distanced itself from the priest, saying he was expelled from the organization six months ago.

On October 31, a case with Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram, accusing Mr. Das and 18 others of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag with a local leader of ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s BNP, who too was expelled by the party for obscure reasons.

Published – December 12, 2024 12:21 pm IST

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Bangladesh court grants bail to jailed Hindu rights leader; release from prison unlikely

Chinmoy Krishna Das’ bail plea: Bangladesh court rejects petition