0
0
Dhaka, April 30, 2025 — The Bangladesh High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Hindu leader and former ISKCON official Chandan Kumar Dhar, popularly known as Chinmoy Krishna Das, in a high-profile sedition case that has sparked nationwide protests and drawn international attention.
Das was arrested after a sedition case was filed against him and 18 others in Chattogram on October 30, 2024, following a controversial rally held five days earlier at Laldighi Maidan. Authorities allege that a saffron flag was hoisted above the national flag of Bangladesh during the event, an act that has been deemed disrespectful and seditious by prosecutors.
Despite being denied bail by a lower court in Chattogram earlier this week, Das’s legal team moved the High Court, which granted him bail on Wednesday. He is expected to be released shortly unless the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court issues a stay order on the High Court’s decision, said Advocate Prolad Deb Nath, who represents Das.
The arrest triggered widespread outrage across Bangladesh and abroad, with human rights groups, minority advocates, and international observers condemning the move as politically motivated and discriminatory.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, a native of Satkania Upazila in Chattogram, has long been a prominent voice for the protection of Bangladesh’s religious minorities—particularly the Hindu community, which comprises less than 8% of the country’s 170 million people. He currently serves as the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote and has called for the enactment of minority protection laws, the formation of special tribunals to handle persecution cases, and the establishment of a dedicated minority affairs ministry.
Das previously served as the Chittagong divisional secretary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) between 2016 and 2022. Known as “Shishu Bokta” (child orator) for his early oratory skills, he was expelled from ISKCON in 2024 amid internal disagreements.
His arrest and detention come at a time of heightened political tensions in Bangladesh following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024. Relations between Dhaka and New Delhi have become strained, especially after India provided shelter to Hasina. A special tribunal in Bangladesh has since sought her arrest and formally requested her extradition, though New Delhi has yet to respond.
Observers say the bail granted to Chinmoy Krishna Das may ease some tensions but reflects deeper societal and political fault lines regarding religious freedom and minority rights in the country.
