Bangladesh HC Grants Bail To Chinmoy Krishna Das, But Release Remains Blocked

Bangladesh’s High Court has granted bail to Hindu rights leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in two more cases, but he remains in jail as proceedings in other cases continue.

A bench of Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher granted bail on Sunday in two cases filed at Chattogram’s Kotwali Police Station in November 2024, involving allegations of vandalism and obstructing police from performing their duties. The same bench had granted him bail in two other cases on August 3 involving vandalism, attack and obstruction of government duty.

Das has been in custody since November 25, 2024, after being arrested in a sedition case alleging disrespect toward Bangladesh’s national flag. His arrest triggered protests by members of the Hindu community and heightened communal tensions.

There is a slight difference in how recent reports count his bail victories. His lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya told The Daily Star that Das has secured bail in five of six cases when High Court and lower-court orders are counted. Other reports, citing his lawyer, describe him as having secured High Court bail in four of the six cases. His release remains blocked because bail in the sedition case has been stayed by the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.

Das also remains implicated in the case concerning the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, who was hacked to death during violence outside a Chattogram court following Das’s arrest and bail proceedings. The murder trial is underway before the Chattogram Speedy Trial Tribunal.

Das, a former ISKCON leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, had emerged as a prominent voice demanding greater protection and security for the country’s Hindu minority following the political upheaval of 2024.

India had earlier expressed “deep concern” over his arrest and urged Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Hindus of North America has condemned his continued imprisonment, alleging persecution and calling for greater international attention to the treatment of minorities in Bangladesh. Those claims represent the organisation’s position and have not been independently established by the court proceedings.