Bangladesh High Court grants bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das in sedition case

Dhaka: Bangladesh High Court on Wednesday granted bail to spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case, according to Bangladesh-based The Daily Star. The order was passed by a bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza.

Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote and a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at Dhaka airport on November 25 last year. He has been accused of insulting the national flag of Bangladesh and is facing sedition charges. He had applied for bail in the High Court after a lower court in Chittagong rejected his plea on January 2. In February, the Bangladesh High Court had asked the government to explain why Das should not be granted bail, as confirmed by his lawyer. "Bangladesh High Court has asked the government to respond to the ruling within two weeks," said Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, Das' lawyer, in a statement to media.

During the January 2 hearing in Chittagong, Das' defence team argued that he held deep respect for the motherland, comparable to the reverence for his mother, and was not a traitor. Despite these arguments, the court denied the bail plea. "We mentioned to the court that the priest respects the motherland like his mother and is not a traitor," Bhattacharjee said. The court, led by Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam, ruled against granting bail following arguments from both parties. The court in Chittagong, led by Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam, rejected the bail after hearing arguments from both sides. The hearing was held under tight security. Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan represented the prosecution. The case has attracted wide public attention, with many closely following the developments in the Bangladesh High Court.