Freedom After 5 Months: High Court Grants Bail to Former ISKCON Priest Chinmoy Krishna Das in Sedition Case.

Former ISKCON Priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Granted Bail By Bangladesh High Court In False Sedition Case After 5 Months.

Upendra Bharati | HENB | New Delhi | April 30, 2025::  Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former ISKCON priest and spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote, has been granted bail by the Bangladesh High Court. The court, comprising Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza, passed the order on Wednesday. Das was arrested on November 25, 2024, at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on charges of sedition for allegedly insulting the national flag of Bangladesh during a rally.

Das had been advocating for stronger legal protections for minority groups in Bangladesh, which led to protests by the Hindu community in Rangpur. His arrest was widely criticized, with many viewing it as an attempt to silence Hindu voices. The former priest was denied bail by a lower court in Chittagong on January 2, 2025, but the High Court has now reversed this decision.

Key Details of the Case:

– Charges: Sedition for allegedly insulting the national flag of Bangladesh
– Arrest: November 25, 2024, at Dhaka airport
– Lower Court Decision: Bail plea rejected on January 2, 2025
– High Court Decision: Bail granted on April 30, 2025
– Condition: Das is expected to be released unless the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stays the High Court verdict

The popular ISKCON priest and Hindutva face of Bangladesh, has been granted bail by the Bangladesh High Court after spending over five months in jail on false sedition charges implicated against him. Das’s lawyer, Prahlad Debnath, confirmed that he is expected to be released following the court’s order, unless the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stays the verdict.

A case was filed against Chinmoy Krishna in Chittagong. He was accused of insulting the national flag of Bangladesh. He was arrested by the Bangladeshi police in a sedition case. Since then, his bail application has been rejected several times in the High Court. On the day of the hearing, his lawyer could not even appear in court. There were allegations of intimidation of lawyers. After Chinmoy Krishna’s bail application was rejected, there was widespread unrest in the court premises of Chittagong. Allegedly, one person also died in the unrest.

Last year, the Sheikh Hasina government fell in a mass uprising in Bangladesh. After that, an interim government was formed under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus. They are now in power in Bangladesh. Allegedly, after Hasina left the country, the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh has increased. There have been repeated reports of unrest in this regard from different parts of the country. In the meantime, the arrest of the minority monk added fuel to the fire. The minorities of Bangladesh took to the streets demanding Chinmoy Krishna’s release. He was finally granted bail after five months.

In his X message, Hindu interlocutor and Hindu Existence Website Editor, Upananda Brahmachari  welcomed the ail of former ISKCON priest.

Upadate: Finally Chinmoy Prabhu Got The Bail.

_Inputs from The Daily Star & Agencies.