Dhaka, Nov 27: A Bangladeshi court on Tuesday denied bail to prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, arrested on sedition charges, and sent him to prison, triggering protests by community members in various locations, including the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chattogram.Bangladesh police on Monday arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a leader of the Hindu group Sammilita Sanatani Jote, from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area in Dhaka while travelling to Chattogram. He was then brought to Chattogram.
Officials said Das was escorted to the court amid tight security as a number of his supporters, including lawyers, chanted slogans protesting his arrest.
According to eyewitnesses, Das greeted his supporters gathered at the court premises with folded hands as they chanted slogans and asked them to refrain from chanting religious slogans at the scene.
During the hearing, the lawyers serving as Das’ defence counsels requested Chattogramās Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Shariful Islam to issue similar arrest warrants for them as well. In response, the judge stated, “I respect your emotions for him.”
Islam then briefly adjourned the hearing. Upon resuming, he asked the lawyers to present the bail appeal for consideration, during which Das also made a statement.
Following the conclusion of the arguments, Islam rejected Das’ bail petition.
The judge said since Das was arrested from outside the port city, as per law he is required to be kept under judicial custody for 24 hours.
The court then ordered that Das be taken to jail and directed the prison authorities to allow the Hindu priest to practice his religious rituals as per the Jail Code.
Immediately after the court’s order at around noon, Das’ followers started to protest, disrupting the movement of the prison van carrying him. Protesters were shouting slogans demanding his release, The Daily Star newspaper reported.
Police and members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) fired sound grenades and charged batons at the protesters to clear the way of the van. The van was finally able to leave the court premises at around 3:00 pm, the report said.
Das called on his followers to remain calm from inside the prison van.
“We are not against the state and the government. We, the Sanatanis, are a part of the state… We will not do anything to destabilise the state and destroy peaceful coexistence. We will hold a peaceful protest by controlling our emotions and turning them into strength,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.