What New Charges Are Facing Chinmoy Das? Awami League Labels It an 'Inhumane Legal Assault'

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Chinmoy Krishna Das faces serious legal charges.
- Awami League condemns the situation as a legal assault.
- Political unrest in Bangladesh affects minority rights.
- Protests have erupted in response to Das's arrest.
- India highlights the persecution of Hindu minorities.
Dhaka, May 6 (NationPress) Chinmoy Krishna Das, a leading figure in the Hindu community and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, was presented with four additional charges in a Chattogram court on Tuesday.
This development follows a court ruling on Monday that previously showed Das arrested in a murder case involving Chattogram court lawyer Saiful Islam Alif.
During a virtual hearing held on Tuesday morning, Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate S M Alauddin Mahmud accepted police applications to formally show Das's arrest in further cases. The Hindu priest appeared via video link from prison due to safety concerns, according to local media.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury informed the media that police had initiated three cases, while Alif's brother filed another concerning vandalism on the court premises, assaults on law enforcement and civilians, crude bomb detonations, and obstructing police duties during clashes on November 26.
Previously, on April 30, the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court suspended a High Court decision that had granted bail to Das in a sedition case.
The Awami League party issued a statement on Tuesday demanding the release of Chinmoy Das, calling the ongoing legal battle an 'inhumane legal assault'. They claimed the recent court decision falsely accused the minority rights advocate of a serious murder charge, coinciding with a hate campaign against minorities led by a group associated with Muhammad Yunus, who labeled him an agent of India.
According to the Awami League, the continued unlawful detention of Chinmoy Das, who has now spent over 130 days in custody under dubious sedition charges aimed at silencing dissent against communal violence, exemplifies the complete weaponization of the judiciary and law enforcement under the Yunus administration.
Furthermore, the party pointed out that no legal representation was available for Chinmoy Das during the hearing, suggesting that the judiciary is failing to provide justice to those challenging communal violence under the current government.
Chinmoy was apprehended in Dhaka on November 25 of last year and subsequently jailed after a Chittagong court denied his bail request the following day. His bail was again rejected on December 11.
The arrest ignited widespread protests among the Hindu community in Bangladesh, which has been experiencing political unrest since August 2024 following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Since the formation of an interim government led by Yunus, there has been a marked increase in violence against the Hindu community, with India taking a firm stance regarding the rights of Hindus, asserting that there is systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the current administration.