Bangladesh: Chittagong Court rejects early bail hearing for Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das

By  News On Air   Dec 13, 2024

In Bangladesh, a Chittagong Court on Thursday recorded a petition moved by a senior Supreme Court lawyer for Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das’ bail, however, the judge did not allow the early hearing. As per media reports, Rabindra Ghosh, a Supreme Court lawyer and human rights activist, presented the petition in the court and the judge kept his application “on record” but did not allow an early hearing. The judge maintained the scheduled hearing date of January 2nd.

On Wednesday too, the court rejected the plea for the early bail hearing. The court dismissed the petition, stating that Chinmoy Krishna Das, the spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaron Jote, did not authorise power to the lawyer who submitted the plea.

Chinmoy’s lawyer Rabindra Ghosh expressed disappointment and said that he is considering moving the bail prayer to the High Court with the requisite documents.

Chinmoy Krishna Das, also a former priest of ISKCON, was arrested by police from Dhaka Airport on November 25 on a charge of sedition. On November 26, a court in Bangladesh’s port city of Chittagong rejected his bail prayer and ordered him to be sent to prison. His followers lay in front of his prison van and blocked it. Police cleared the site after clashes with the protesters. A lawyer named Saiful Islam Alif was killed during the clashes.

On December 3, the  Chittagong court had fixed January 2nd for a bail hearing as the prosecution submitted a time petition and there was no lawyer to represent Chinmoy.