A Bangladesh court on Wednesday rejected a plea seeking to advance the hearing the bail petition of arrested Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.
According to a PTI report, the Chattogram Metropolitan Session Judge Saiful Islam rekected the plea as the lawyer did not have the power of attorney from Das.
“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 alleged 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.
Chinmoy Das arrested on sedition charges
On November 25, Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
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 organisation six months ago.
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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.
India condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, asking Bangladesh to ensure the safety of minorities, particularly Hindus on its soil.
“It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings. We also note with concern the attacks on minorities protesting peacefully against the arrest of Shri Das,” the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement on November 26.
(With PTI inputs)
