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.

Dhaka:

A case was lodged on Sunday over a clash between police and followers of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on the court premises in Chittagong, according to a media report.

The Dhaka Tribune newspaper said the case names the Hindu leader, arrested on a charge of sedition, as the prime accused, along with 164 identified individuals and 400 to 500 unidentified people.

The complaint was filed by Enamul Haque, a businessman and activist of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, in the court of Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Md Abu Bakar Siddique.

Haque in his complaint alleged that he was attacked by followers of Chinmoy Krishna Das while returning home after completing land registry work at the court on November 26.

The businessman claimed that he was targeted for wearing a ‘panjabi’, a kurta, and a cap, which resulted in injuries to his right hand and head.

He was rescued by bystanders and admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the newspaper said. Haque also said that his delay in filing the case was due to his prolonged illness from the attack.

“Haque was assaulted on November 26 on the court premises by followers of Chinmoy Krishna. His right hand was fractured, and he sustained head injuries. The case names 164 individuals, with Chinmoy Krishna as the principal accused,” his lawyer is quoted as saying.

The incident follows several clashes linked to the imprisonment of Chinmoy Krishna, spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sommilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote.

Previously on November 27, police filed three related cases at Kotwali police station, naming numerous individuals and hundreds of unidentified persons for obstruction and attacks on law enforcement.

Separately, another case was filed by a businessman on Tuesday, alleging assault by a group near Rangam Cinema Hall on November 26.

The complaint named 29 individuals, including members of political organisations and ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), alongside 40 to 50 unidentified persons, the report said.

The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 following a student-led protest.

The relations deteriorated further in recent weeks over continued attacks on Hindus and especially after the arrest of the Hindu monk, a former member of ISKCON Bangladesh.

Das’ arrest in a sedition case on November 25 from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport had triggered demonstrations by supporters of the monk.

An assistant government prosecutor, Saiful Islam Alif, was killed during a protest in Chattogram after the monk was denied bail on November 26.

On December 3, a Bangladesh court deferred to January 2 hearing on the bail petition of Chinmoy Krishna on a government plea as no lawyer appeared on his behalf. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Minister for Indo-Pacific, Catherine West.
| Photo Credit: ANI

GUWAHATI

A British Minister has assured a New Delhi-based rights group of the U.K.’s support for a United Nations inquiry into human rights violations in Bangladesh.

The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) wrote to Catherine West, the British Minister for the Indo-Pacific, about Bangladesh’s situation before she visited Dhaka on November 16-17. The group raised concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation, vendetta politics, increased attacks on indigenous peoples and religious minorities, and the need to support the demand of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a country office in Bangladesh.

Ms. West replied to RRAG director Suhas Chakma’s letter on December 4.

Ms. West said that during her visit to Bangladesh, she had urged the country’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, and Foreign Affairs Advisor Md Touhid Hussain “to restore peace and order, ensure accountability, and create a peaceful pathway to an inclusive and democratic future, respect for human rights and the rule of law”.

She also said that the U.K. supported the United Nations’ work in conducting an impartial and independent fact-finding mission to identify human rights violations.

The RRAG highlighted criminal cases filed against 2,71,587 persons, mainly political opponents, from August 5 to October 31; acts of violence against at least 74 journalists; increased attacks on indigenous peoples, with the killing of at least four indigenous persons and injuries to at least 75 indigenous Jumma people; damages to at least 142 houses, shops, and Buddhist temples from September 19 to October 1 in the Chittagong Hill Tracts; over 2,000 acts of violence against Hindu minorities; and absence of independence of the judiciary.

The RRAG requested Ms. West to urge Bangladesh to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a country mission to extend the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate incidents beyond August 20 to cover the human rights violations against religious minorities and indigenous peoples.

The rights group also sought the implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord of 1997 in letter and spirit, and the publication of the report of the inquiry commission headed by the Additional Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Mohammad Nurullah Noori into the recent acts of violence upon indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.

Dhaka:

Three Hindu temples were vandalised by a slogan-shouting mob on Friday in Bangladesh’s Chattogram which has witnessed protests and violence since a former ISKCON member was booked under sedition charges.

The attack took place around 2:30 pm in the port city’s Harish Chandra Munsef Lane, where the Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, the nearby Shoni Temple, and the Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted, news portal BDNews24.com reported.

“A group of several hundred slogan-shouting people threw brickbats at the temples, damaging the Shoni Temple and the gates of the other two temples,” the news portal quoted temple authorities as saying.

Kotwali Police Station chief Abdul Karim confirmed the attack, saying that assailants attempted to damage the temples.

Police, however, said the damage to the temples was minimal after the confrontation between the two sides, with both groups throwing brickbats at each other, it added.

Tapan Das, a permanent member of the Shantineshwari Main Temple management committee, told bdnews24.com: “A procession of hundreds arrived after the Juma prayers. They started shouting anti-Hindu and anti-ISKCON slogans.” “We did not obstruct the attackers. When the situation worsened, we called the army, who arrived quickly and helped restore order. All the temple gates were closed before noon. The miscreants arrived unprovoked and carried out the attack,” BDNews24.com said further quoting him.

Spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of Bangladesh, was arrested in connection with a sedition case on Monday and denied bail on Tuesday.

It triggered protests by Hindu community members in various locations in Bangladesh, including in the capital Dhaka and Chattogram.

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.

On Tuesday, New Delhi expressed concern over the leader’s arrest and denial of bail, and asked Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities.

The week’s anti-Hindu incidents have led to a diplomatic row between the two South Asian neighbours.

India on Friday said the interim government in Bangladesh must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities as it expressed serious concern over the “surge” of extremist rhetoric and increasing incidents of violence against Hindus as well as attacks on temples.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament that India has taken serious note of incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh and that it is the primary responsibility of Dhaka to protect the life and liberty of all the citizens, including minorities.

On the other hand, Bangladesh on Friday expressed deep concern over the violent protest at the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and urged New Delhi to ensure the safety of all its diplomatic missions in India.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

London:

UK member of Parliament Bob Blackman, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus, has raised concerns in the House of Commons over the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

During a Parliament session on Thursday, the MP for Harrow East in north London condemned the persecution of minorities and the imprisonment of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh.

He pointed out that Das is the spiritual leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which runs the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple at Elstree in Watford, one of the UK’s largest Hindu temples on the outskirts of London.

“[He] is under arrest in Bangladesh and Hindus across Bangladesh are being subjected to death, with their houses and temples being burnt,” Blackman told MPs.

“There was today (Thursday) an attempt in Bangladesh’s High Court to rule that ISKCON should be banned from the country, which is a direct attack on Hindus. There is now a threat from India to take action and we have a responsibility because we enabled Bangladesh to be free and independent,” he said.

The Opposition Conservative Party MP stressed that it “cannot be acceptable that religious minorities are persecuted in this way” and called for freedom of religion to be preserved globally.

“We support freedom of religion or belief everywhere and that includes Bangladesh. I will certainly ask Foreign Office Ministers to look at coming forward with a statement about what is happening to Hindus in Bangladesh,” said Lucy Powell in her response on behalf of the UK government as the Leader of the House of Commons.

Blackman’s intervention was welcomed by the diaspora group Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK which condemned the numerous attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, including “arson, looting, theft, vandalism, and desecration of temples and deities”.

It follows a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement calling on Bangladesh authorities to ensure the “safety and security of Hindus and all minorities, including their right of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression”.

The MEA statement said: “We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote spokesperson. This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh.

“There are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities’ homes and business establishments as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples. It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings. We also note with concern the attacks on minorities protesting peacefully against the arrest of Shri Das.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

The arrest of a Hindu priest in Bangladesh, has led to a row between the Opposition BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. India has expressed concern and issued a strong statement on the arrest. There has been condemnation across party lines over the arrest. The BJP, though, has alleged that Trinamool is silent on the issue.

Chinmoy Krishna Das – who was demanding safety and security of Hindus – was arrested as attacks on minorities, mainly Hindus, continue in Bangladesh. He has been jailed and denied bail. 

What has led to even more outrage is the Bangladeshi government calling the renowned International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) a “fundamentalist organisation”.

The Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee said his party condemns what is happening in Bangladesh and will support steps the Union government takes.

“The issue of Bangladesh is not a state issue, it’s a national issue. It’s an international matter and in the domain of the central government,” Mr Banerjee said.

“The people have given the Central government the mandate and we have cleared our stance many times. Whatever position the Central government takes on an international issue, the Trinamool will support it as a party in the nation’s interest. What has happened there cannot be supported at all and it is unfortunate and should be criticised,” he added. 

The Bengal BJP has been demanding punitive measures to protect Hindus in Bangladesh. West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition, the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, led a protest march to the Bangladesh High Commission today, calling for an end to atrocities against Hindus. 

“Our demand is that this goondagardi, killing of Hindus should stop. Chinmoy Krishna Das should be released immediately. Bangladesh-India relations should improve immediately. These are demands or else we should stop giving them visas and export-import permits. A member of the caretaker government is openly making anti-India statements. He holds a post equivalent to a cabinet minister of the Union in Bangladesh,” Mr Adhikari said.

After New Delhi’s sharp response against the arrest, Bangladesh said India was misrepresenting facts. 

Chief Advisor to the interim government Md Yunus said Bangladesh is committed to upholding communal harmony but the ground reality shows Islamic radicals are continuing to target Hindus.