Dhaka, Apr 30 (UNI) Prominent Bangladeshi Hindu leader and former ISKCON priest Chinmoy Das was granted bail by the High Court today, after spending five months in jail in a sedition case.
The bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza passed the order after holding the hearing on a bail petition filed by Das, head of the Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote.
The Hindu monk is expected to be released from jail following the HC order, unless the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stays the HC verdict, Advocate Prahlad Debnath, a lawyer for Chinmoy, told The Daily Star.
On April 23, Chinmoy's lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee prayed to the HC bench to grant bail to his client, saying that Chinmoy is ill and suffering in jail without trial.
Das was arrested without trial in Dhaka on November 25 after a case was filed against him on October 31 last year by BNP member Firoz Khan, accusing him of insulting the Bangladesh national flag at a Hindu community rally. A court in Chattogram sent him to jail on November 26 and later denied him bail on December 11.
Chinmoy Das, head of the ISKCON-run Pundarik Dham Temple in Chattogram, had spoken out against attacks on minorities across the country since the Aug 5, 2024 overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government.
The news of his arrest had sparked protests across several districts, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Cumilla, Khulna, Dinajpur, and Cox’s Bazar. Protests had been held in ISKCON centres in India and across the world.
The Hindu monk’s arrest attracted considerable attention in international circles, with human rights organisations expressing great concern over the mistreatment of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and the suppression of dissenting voices under the Mohammed Yunus regime.
In addition, the arrest of Das has also raised several concerns about the safety of legal professionals and the fairness of the judicial processes in Bangladesh, due to the courts’ appeasement of Islamists, and the government’s hold over the judiciary.
UNI ANV RN