Bangladesh High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, who was nabbed and locked up in a sedition case.
The order was passed by the bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza after hearing the former International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) leader’s bail petition.
He is expected to be released from the jail following the HC order, unless the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stays the HC verdict, Advocate Prahlad Debnath, a lawyer for Chinmoy, told The Daily Star.
Chinmoy’s lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee prayed to the HC bench on April 23 to grant bail to the Hindu spiritual leader since he was ill and suffering in jail without trial.
The HC did not grant him bail that day and said it will give the order after hearing the case on Wednesday (April 30, 2025).
Hindu leader’s arrest
Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25, 2024.
Firoz Khan, former general secretary of Chattogram’s Mohora ward, filed the case with Kotwali Police Station, on October 31 where he accused Das and 18 others of disrespecting the national flag during a rally on October 25.
A Chittagong court sent him to jail on November 26 by rejecting his bail plea.
Massive protest
His arrest led to massive protests by the minority Hindu community in the South Asian nation which witnessed a political turmoil ever since former PM Sheikh Hasina escaped to India amid widespread violent protests against her government.
India had earlier expressed deep concern over the arrest of the Hindu leader.
Bangladesh has witnessed rising cases of attacks on Hindus ever since the Hasina-led government was toppled in the Muslim-majority nation.
