Bangladeshi Court Denies Bail to Arrested Hindu Leader

Dhaka: A Bangladesh court on Tuesday denied bail to Chinmay Krishna Das Brahmachari, a prominent Hindu leader, who was arrested on charges of “sedition.” Following the court ruling, he was sent to jail. The arrest occurred amidst ongoing protests by the Hindu community in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, leader of the Hindu organization Samda Sanatani Jote, was apprehended on Monday by Bangladesh Police at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while en route to Chittagong. He was subsequently brought to Chittagong, where he was held in connection with allegations that he desecrated the national flag during a rally on October 25 at Laldighi Maidan, Chittagong. A complaint had been filed by members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), including former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The case was officially registered on October 30 at Kotwali police station in Chittagong.

During the court proceedings, the Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate of Chittagong, Kazi Shariful Islam, rejected Das’s bail application. The judge explained that Das had been arrested outside the port city, necessitating his detention in judicial custody for 24 hours, as per legal requirements. The court ordered that Das be sent to jail, while also instructing the jail authorities to allow him to perform his religious rituals in accordance with prison guidelines.

Das was escorted to the court amid tight security, with a large group of supporters, including several lawyers, protesting his arrest. Eyewitnesses reported that Das greeted his supporters with folded hands and urged them to avoid chanting religious slogans during the proceedings.

Asif Mahmood, an adviser on local government affairs and a leader of the anti-discrimination student movement, emphasized that Das’s arrest was not based on his community leadership but on charges of sedition. Mahmood stated, “Anyone involved in sedition will not be spared. If Bangladesh’s sovereignty and independence are at risk, the government will take necessary action.”

In response to the arrest, several protests erupted across Dhaka and Chittagong. Hundreds of Hindus gathered at the Cheragi Pahar intersection in Chittagong, demanding the immediate release of Das. In Dhaka, the Hindu community blocked the Shahbagh intersection, also protesting the arrest. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Ekta Parishad, an organization representing the interests of minority groups, also condemned the arrest and called for Das’s swift release.

Das, who was previously a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), had been expelled from the organization recently. However, officials from ISKCON Bangladesh were unavailable for comment on the situation. The case has drawn attention both within the country and from international observers, highlighting ongoing tensions related to religious freedoms in Bangladesh.