Bangladeshi court denies bail to prominent Hindu leader arrested for 'sedition' amid protests

PTI, DHAKA, NOVEMBER 26, 2024 : A Bangladeshi court on Tuesday denied bail to prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, arrested on sedition charges, and sent him to prison, triggering protests by community members in various locations, including the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chattogram.

Bangladesh police on Monday arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a leader of the Hindu group Sammilita Sanatani Jote, from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area in Dhaka while traveling to Chattogram. He was then brought to Chattogram.

Officials said Das was escorted to the court amid tight security as several of his supporters, including lawyers, chanted slogans protesting his arrest. According to eyewitnesses, Das greeted his supporters gathered at the court premises with folded hands as they chanted slogans and asked them to refrain from chanting religious slogans at the scene.

During the hearing, the lawyers serving as Das' defense counsels requested Chattogram’s Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Shariful Islam to issue similar arrest warrants for them as well. In response, the judge stated, "I respect your emotions for him."

Islam then briefly adjourned the hearing. Upon resuming, he asked the lawyers to present the bail appeal for consideration, during which Das also made a statement. Following the conclusion of the arguments, Islam rejected Das' bail petition.

The judge said that since Das was arrested from outside the port city, as per law, he is required to be kept under judicial custody for 24 hours. The court then ordered that Das be taken to jail and directed the prison authorities to allow the Hindu priest to practice his religious rituals as per the Jail Code.

Immediately after the court's order at around noon, Das' followers started to protest, disrupting the movement of the prison van carrying him. Protesters were shouting slogans demanding his release, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Police and members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) fired sound grenades and charged batons at the protesters to clear the way for the van. The van was finally able to leave the court premises at around 3:00 pm, the report said.

Das called on his followers to remain calm from inside the prison van. "We are not against the state and the government. We, the Sanatanis, are a part of the state... We will not do anything to destabilize the state and destroy peaceful coexistence. We will hold a peaceful protest by controlling our emotions and turning them into strength," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The huge gathering around the prison van carrying Das included hermits, women, and children, online portal bdnews24 reported. The protesters were chanting slogans, including "Jai Sree Ram," "We wanted our rights but got prison instead," and "One, two, three, four, all of them are frauds." Some of them also blew conch shells, the report said.

Protests broke out demanding Das' release in different districts, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Comilla, Khulna, Dinajpur, and Cox's Bazar, it said. Hundreds of people from the Hindu community on Monday took to the streets at the Cheragi Pahar intersection in Chattogram, demanding his immediate release. Similarly, the Hindu community members in Dhaka blocked the Shahbagh intersection, protesting the arrest. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council also protested Das' arrest and demanded his immediate release.

A case was filed against Das and 18 others on October 30 at Chattogram's Kotwali Police Station on the complaint of a leader of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which accused them of disrespecting the national flag in the city's Laldighi Maidan during a rally of the Hindu community on October 25.

Local government affairs adviser and Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement leader Asif Mahmud said Das has been arrested not as a leader of any community but for sedition. "If someone is involved in any incident like sedition, he will not be spared,” he told reporters following a public rally in northwestern Rangpur city on Tuesday.

"If Bangladesh’s sovereignty and independence are endangered or the country is exposed to dishonor or contempt, the government will definitely take steps," Mahmud said.

Das was also a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which recently expelled him. ISKCON leaders in Bangladesh were not immediately available for comments.

Meanwhile, India on Tuesday noted with "deep concern" the arrest and denial of bail to Das and urged the Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh."

There are "several documented cases" of arson and looting of minorities' homes and business establishments, as well as theft, vandalism, and desecration of deities and temples in Bangladesh. "It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings," the statement said.

Bangladesh’s minority Hindus, who constitute only about eight percent of the 170 million population of Bangladesh, have faced over 200 attacks in 50-odd districts since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5.