Bangladesh: Iskcon priest Chinmoy Das gets bail in sedition case

The Bangladesh High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case, after six months of his arrest, Dhaka-based Daily Star reported.

A bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza passed the order.

He was arrested in Bangladesh on 25 November 2024 on multiple serious charges, including sedition, which many international observers have called “judicial harassment.”

His arrest last year, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, sparked public outrage and strained India-Bangladesh relations.

Das was arrested in Dhaka on 25 November after a case was filed accusing him of insulting the Bangladesh national flag at a Hindu community rally. A court in Chattogram sent him to jail on 26 November and later denied him bail on 11 December.

Das’s lawyer, Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, told ANI that the Bangladesh High Court has asked the government to respond to the ruling within two weeks.

At a hearing in Chattogram on 2 January, Das’s defence argued that he deeply respects his country, comparing it to the love one has for their mother, and insisted he is not a traitor. However, the court rejected his bail plea.

The hearing was held under tight security and was presided over by Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam. Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan represented the prosecution.

The case has drawn significant public attention, with many closely following the proceedings in the High Court.