Bangladesh: Attorneys Refuse to Represent Chinmoy Das; Bail Hearing Postponed to January 2
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Dhaka, December 3 (NationPress) Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu priest in Bangladesh accused of sedition, faced a significant obstacle when attorneys declined to take on his case during the bail hearing held in court on Tuesday.
Sources indicate that the Chattogram court has rescheduled the bail hearing for January 2.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, who serves as the spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was apprehended at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while on his way to Chattogram for a rally.
He was denied bail and subsequently imprisoned last week.
In a related development, ISKCON reported that Advocate Ramen Roy, who previously defended Bangladesh's Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in the sedition case, was viciously attacked in a neighboring country and is currently fighting for survival in a hospital.
According to a spokesperson from ISKCON Kolkata, Radharaman Das, Roy's only crime was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das in court, resulting in a violent attack by a group of Islamists that led to the ransacking of his home.
The brutal assault left Roy in critical condition, and he is presently in the ICU battling for his life, as claimed by the ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson.
"Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'crime' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally assaulted him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life," he posted on X, along with an image of Roy in the intensive care unit.
He also called for the safety of Bangladeshi Hindus and the urgent release of the ISKCON priest.
This incident occurs amidst a rise in attacks against minorities in Bangladesh under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus, who is currently heading the interim government in the neighboring nation. As reports of minority targeting emerged, India has repeatedly urged the Dhaka government to ensure the protection of its minorities.
In a statement to a Bengali news channel, Das, who also serves as the Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata, stated, "This brutal attack on Advocate Roy is a direct consequence of his legal defense of Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu. It highlights the increasing peril faced by those advocating for the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh."
Historically, Hindus made up about 22 percent of Bangladesh's population during the 1971 Liberation War. However, the Hindu demographic has significantly dwindled in recent decades, now accounting for only approximately eight percent of the total population.
This decline can be largely attributed to a mix of socio-political marginalization, exodus, and sporadic violence over the years.
Earlier on Monday, demonstrators reportedly stormed the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala to protest against the atrocities faced by minorities in the neighboring country.
The breach of the High Commission occurred following an incident where an Agartala-Kolkata bus traveling through Dhaka faced an attack in the Brahmanbaria district after an accident on Vishwa Road.
These events unfold amid escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh, further exacerbated by increasing attacks on Hindus and their places of worship in Bangladesh after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this year.
The political instability in Bangladesh has coincided with a series of mob attacks, raising concerns regarding the safety of the Hindu minority community. Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry has stated that the Indian government is taking the incidents of minority attacks seriously and has communicated its concerns to the authorities in Bangladesh.
