Bangladesh Court Issues Arrest Orders for Hindu Leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Amid Controversy
Court Actions Against Chinmoy Krishna Das
In Dhaka, a court in Bangladesh has mandated the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a detained Hindu leader, in four additional cases, following a similar ruling in a murder case just a day prior.
The order was issued by Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin Mahmud after a virtual court session, as reported by the state-run BSS news agency.
Das, a former leader of ISKCON, was apprehended at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25 last year, facing charges of sedition for allegedly defaming the national flag. His request for bail was denied by a Chattogram court, leading to his incarceration the following day.
His arrest ignited significant protests, with supporters rallying in Dhaka and other regions.
The new charges include allegations of obstructing police duties at the Kotwali police station and assaults on legal professionals and individuals seeking justice, according to Assistant Public Prosecutor Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury.
Chowdhury stated, "The court approved the request to formally arrest Das after the hearing," as reported by bdnews24.
For security reasons, Das was presented virtually during the hearing, an official noted.
In anticipation of the virtual session, security measures were heightened at the Chattogram court and the jail premises.
On the previous day, the court had ordered Das's arrest in relation to the murder of assistant government prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif, who was killed during protests triggered by Das's arrest.
The Awami League, led by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, criticized the arrest order, labeling it as a blatant example of the judiciary and law enforcement being weaponized by the regime of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to obscure communal violence.
In a post on X, the party asserted that Das lacked legal representation during the hearing.
The Awami League condemned the "inhumane legal assault" aimed at denying Das bail through what they described as a systematic misuse of the judicial system.
They emphasized that minorities are no longer afforded the right to justice and fair trials, as the rule of law has been compromised.
Earlier, on April 30, a High Court bench had ordered Das's release on bail, but this decision was subsequently challenged by the Appellate Division's chamber judge, Justice Rezaul Haque, who stayed the ruling.
Attempts by Das's legal team to secure bail were unsuccessful, as the lower court in Chattogram rejected their petitions.
Defense attorney Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya previously argued that the claims of disrespecting the national flag were unfounded, asserting that it was not a national flag.