Bangladesh court rejects petition to advance hearing of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das’ bail plea in sedition case

Dhaka: A Bangladesh court Wednesday rejected a plea to advance the hearing of arrested Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das' bail petition in a sedition case, ruling that it would be heard as previously fixed on January 2.

Court officials said Chattogram Metropolitan Session Judge Saiful Islam rejected the plea as the lawyer who filed the petition seeking the advanced hearing did not have the power of attorney from the monk.

"Advocate Rabindra Ghose sought the advanced hearing when another lawyer informed the judge that he (Ghose) did not have any power of attorney to represent the monk. The judge then rejected the plea," a court official said.

In his plea, Goshe said Das was arrested in a “false and fabricated case” while he had been suffering from diabetes, asthma and other issues.

The lawyer, however, admitted that he did not go to the prison to obtain a signed power of attorney from Das. "I will visit Chinmoy in the prison now and obtain the Vakalatnama (power of attorney)," he said.

The hearing was due to be held on December 3 when the court deferred the date to January 2, 2025, on a prosecution side suggestion as no lawyer appeared on his behalf.

An associate of Das in his Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, Sawtantra Gauranga Das earlier said no lawyer stood for the monk, fearing threats and pressure from a “politically motivated lawyers' group”.

Das, a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25. The next day, a court in Chattogram sent him to jail, rejecting his bail petition as he was accused of a sedition charge for allegedly disrespecting the country's flag.

His arrest sparked protests, with his followers demonstrating in Dhaka and other places while the protest turned violent in Chattogram, where a lawyer was killed.

The advocate's death sparked a counter-campaign, demanding a ban on ISKCON, which distanced itself from the priest, saying he was expelled from the organization six months ago.

On October 31, a case with Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram, accusing Das and 18 others of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag with a local leader of ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s BNP, who too was expelled by the party for obscure reasons.