Dhaka [Bangladesh], September 6 (ANI): The Bangladesh High Court on Sunday granted bail to Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in two more cases, taking the total number of cases in which he has secured bail to four, his lawyer said.
“The Bangladesh High Court has granted bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das in two more cases. These cases included charges of attempted murder, vandalism, obstruction of government duties, and related offences. A two-judge High Court bench comprising Justice Jahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher issued the bail order today,” Chinmoy’s lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee told ANI over the phone.
“On August 2, he was granted bail in two cases; today, having been granted bail in two more cases, he has now been granted bail in a total of four cases”, the lawyer added.
Das, a former ISKCON leader and spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested on November 25, 2024, at Dhaka airport. He was charged with insulting the national flag of Bangladesh.
His arrest triggered protests that later turned violent, with clashes breaking out between his followers and law enforcement outside the Chattogram Court Building on November 27. A lawyer was killed in the violence.
According to his lawyer, two cases against Das are still pending in which he has not been granted bail. One relates to sedition charges, while the other is a murder case filed against him in Chattogram.
“He will not be released unless he gets bail in both cases,” the lawyer said.
Das has been a vocal advocate for the Hindu community in Bangladesh and has called for measures including a minority protection law, a tribunal to fast-track cases of minority persecution and a dedicated ministry of minority affairs.
Earlier in August, the legal team representing Das expressed concern over what it described as the slow pace of the process for his release, alleging a lack of political will to expedite his freedom. (ANI)
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