Chinmoy Das denied bail in Alif murder case, four others

A Chattogram court has denied bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson for the Sanatani Jagaran Jote, in the murder case of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif and four other related cases, including sedition and violence.

Judge Hasanul Islam of the Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court passed the order today (24 July) after hearing arguments from both sides.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury told The Business Standard, "The court rejected the bail petition after reviewing the arguments."

Chinmoy's legal team was led by lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya.

Security was tight at the court during the hearing, and visitors were searched and questioned.

The series of legal troubles began on 31 October last year, when Firoz Khan, then general secretary of the BNP's Chandgaon Mohora Ward unit, filed a sedition case against Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari and 18 others at Kotwali police station. The complaint accused them of dishonouring the national flag.

Soon after filing the case, Firoz Khan was removed from his post in the BNP.

On 25 November, Chinmoy was arrested in Dhaka's Kalabagan area in connection with the sedition case.

The next day, violence broke out at the Chattogram court premises during a bail hearing. During the clashes, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was beaten and hacked to death.

Following the incident, Alif's father, Jamal Uddin, filed a murder case naming 31 people.

Later, five more cases were filed on charges of attacking police, obstructing government work, assaulting lawyers, and setting off crude bombs.