Bangladesh’s High Court has rejected a bail petition filed by Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, citing that his trial in connection with the 2024 killing of a lawyer is currently underway before a lower court in Chattogram.
Das, a spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, has been in custody since November 25, 2024, when he was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on charges of sedition.
His counsel, Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya, said the two-judge bench declined to consider bail at this stage as witness testimonies are being recorded in the trial court. Seeking bail, Das’ lawyer argued that the monk has been incarcerated for a prolonged period and is suffering from health issues.
Following his arrest last year, Das was sent to jail after a court in Chattogram denied him bail. The decision triggered protests by his supporters in Dhaka and other parts of the country. One such protest in Chattogram turned violent, during which junior government prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif was killed.
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