Questions are mounting over whether Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu spiritual leader and spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Manch, remains imprisoned due to state pressure rather than legal merit. Critics, including public intellectual Farhad Mazhar, allege that Das has been held for over five months on the basis of politically motivated and fabricated charges.
On Friday (May 2, 2025), the High Court granted bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case. But within hours, state prosecutors appealed the decision and succeeded in having the bail order stayed.
After numerous delays, a new hearing date was finally set for Tuesday. Yet before the hearing could take place, a protest erupted in Chattogram demanding that Das and his lawyer be arrested in connection with the murder of local lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. That same day, a Chattogram magistrate ordered Das to be shown arrested in the murder case as well as in three additional cases—without legal counsel present.
Chinmoy Krishna Das was originally arrested in Dhaka on November 25, 2024. His arrest followed a public rally by the Sanatan Jagaran Manch on October 25 in Chattogram. Five days later, BNP leader Firoz Khan filed a sedition complaint, accusing Das of desecrating the national flag by hoisting a saffron flag alongside it—though multiple witnesses claimed Das had been at a different location. The BNP later expelled Firoz Khan, but the case remained.
The day after his arrest, Das was brought before a Chattogram court, which denied bail and ordered him into custody. In protest, his supporters lay down around the prison van in court premises. Police responded with tear gas, sound grenades, and batons. Amid the ensuing chaos, Assistant Public Prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif was reportedly stabbed to death approximately 300 meters from the court premises. On Sunday, Das was formally shown arrested in that murder case as well.
Supreme Court lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya, representing Das, told DW that his client could not have been involved in the murder or the related violence. “He was in police custody at the time and presented in court. Yet he’s being named in cases as an instigator—how is that possible without police collusion?” Bhattacharya said.
He also confirmed that Das’s name does not appear in the FIRs of the four new cases filed on Sunday, yet he was still shown arrested in them.
When asked, Chattogram Metropolitan Police’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Mofiz Uddin told DW only: “The investigating officer requested that Chinmoy Das be shown arrested in the Kotwali murder case. I have nothing more to say.” Attempts to contact the investigating officer were unsuccessful.
State prosecutor Mozammel Haque echoed this line, saying, “He was shown arrested on the investigating officer’s application. The question of his involvement is for the investigation report to clarify.”
Bhattacharya further alleged a campaign of intimidation against minority lawyers willing to defend Das. “Following the sedition case, 82 Hindu lawyers were named in various counter-cases. Many were too afraid to represent him. When I brought lawyers from Dhaka to Chattogram to seek bail, we were still denied.”
“Even after the High Court granted bail, he was again shown arrested in new cases. This is a calculated strategy to keep him behind bars,” he added.
Opponents of Das had allegedly warned against granting him bail and rallied again to demand his re-arrest after the High Court decision.
Chattogram Bar Association General Secretary Hasan Ali denied any formal ban on representing Das, saying, “We haven’t passed any resolution against defending him. But emotions are high after a lawyer was killed. People are refusing to represent him voluntarily. Also, 82 lawyers have been implicated in separate cases.”
Responding to why Das was again arrested, Ali said: “That’s entirely a matter for the state. The state wanted it, so he was shown arrested.” Regarding the use of virtual hearings, he added, “Producing him in court risks unrest. Hence, virtual hearings were used.”
“The Law and Constitution Are Being Ignored”
Prominent Supreme Court lawyer Z.I. Khan Panna was blunt in his assessment: “This is not a public-driven prosecution; this is the state putting him in jail. The government wants him detained, so he is detained. What’s the point of arguing legality?”
He added, “Chinmoy is being linked to a murder simply because one faction demanded it. Now he must first seek bail in Chattogram courts where no lawyer dares to appear. How will he get bail?”
“The state is acting to appease certain groups. They’re bypassing the constitution to do it.”
“Both Cases Against Him Are Fabricated”
Philosopher and writer Farhad Mazhar has long questioned the legitimacy of the charges against Das. In a previous exchange, he even raised the issue directly with interim Prime Minister Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
Speaking to DW after Das was implicated in the murder case, Mazhar said, “The sedition case is fabricated and baseless. It was filed by a BNP member who was later expelled by the party. It’s political. And the flag hoisting incident? The saffron flag wasn’t even near him.”
He continued, “Filing sedition charges under colonial-era laws after a people’s uprising is an affront to the spirit of that uprising. Bail is a constitutional right. Citizens must be allowed to speak.”
Regarding the murder case, Mazhar said: “His name isn’t even in the FIR. He was in police custody during the incident. Arresting him in this case is utterly illogical.”
He concluded with a warning: “The new IGP and legal advisors should consider whether they’re advancing Delhi’s Hindutva interests by doing this. This harms Bangladesh internationally and weakens the government.”
