Chinmoy Brahmachari lands in jail after court rejects bail plea
The Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote spokesperson was detained from Dhaka airport yesterday
A Chattogram court today (26 November) sent Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote and principal of the Pundarik Dham at Hathazari, to jail after rejecting his bail plea in a sedition case.
Judge Kazi Shariful Islam of the Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate's Court issued the order after hearing the plea filed by Chinmoy's lawyers, Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Additional Commissioner (Prosecution) Mofizur Rahman told The Business Standard.
Chinmoy – who was detained by police from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 4:30pm yesterday (25 November) – was produced before the court at around 11am.
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A prominent figure in the Hindu community, Chinmoy was handed over into CMP's custody this morning.
During the court appearance, hundreds of Hindu devotees and lawyers surrounded him in a protective circle. Law enforcement escorted him to the court under tight security measures.
Outside the courtroom, more than 100 leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote gathered, chanting "Jai Shri Ram."
On 25 October, Chinmoy was accused in the sedition case for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag by hoisting a saffron flag above it at a rally organised by the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha in Chattogram city.
Eighteen others were also accused in the case filed by BNP leader Firoz Khan, who was subsequently expelled from the party, soon after the event.
Recently, the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha and the Bangladesh Sammilita Sankhalaghu Jote joined forces and started organising events under a new coalition named Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote. Chinmoy was made its spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh has recently expelled Chinmoy, also known as Krishna Prabhu Das, who was its spokesperson.
In recent months, he had organised multiple rallies in various districts to condemn what the protesters "describe as atrocities against fellow devotees."
Chinmoy has been a vocal advocate for the rights and safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, often speaking out against targeted hate attacks and religious discrimination.
