Bangladesh Court Denies Bail to Hindu Priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, Orders Jail Custody

Das was made before Judge Kazi Shariful Islam of Chittagong's 6th Metropolitan Magistrate around 10:30 am local time amid tight security in relation to a case filed on October 31, local media reported.

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha's spokesman and head of Pundarik Dham in Chittagong, who was arrested by Bangladesh police on Monday, was remanded to jail after a Chittagong court turned down his bail plea on Tuesday.

Das was made before Judge Kazi Shariful Islam of Chittagong's 6th Metropolitan Magistrate around 10:30 am local time amid tight security in relation to a case filed on October 31, local media reported.

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In the morning hours, he was handed over to the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) Detective Branch, News Today reported.

"He has been accused in a case filed in Chittagong. The transfer was confirmed on Tuesday morning by Rezaul Karim Mallik, additional police commissioner of DB," said Dhaka Tribune.

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Das was detained by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:30 pm on Monday as the interim government headed by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus remains accused of inflicting atrocities on Bangladesh's Hindu community.

As soon as the news of Das's arrest spread on social media, several protests erupted in different parts of Bangladesh, including Chittagong.

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Hundreds of Hindus rally at the Cheragi intersection in Chittagong.
Videos that later went viral on social media showed Bangladeshi policemen charging at the protestors who were chanting slogans and demanding immediate release of Das. 
It is believed that dozens of Hindu protestors were injured during the protest rally.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) also appealed to the Indian government to take immediate action, pleading for the release of the prominent Hindu leader.

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"We have received disturbing reports that Sri Chinmoy Krishna Das, one of the prominent leaders of ISKCON Bangladesh has been detained by the Dhaka police. It is outrageous to make baseless allegations that ISKCON has anything to do with terrorism anywhere in the world. ISKCON, Inc. urges the Government of India to take immediate steps, speak to the government of Bangladesh, and convey that we are a peace-loving Bhakti movement," ISKCON said in a statement late Monday night.

"We want the Government of Bangladesh to release Chinmoy Krishna Das immediately. Our prayers to Lord Krishna for the protection of these devotees," the statement added.

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International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as ISKCON, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu religious organisation with followers across countries and cultures.

The latest incident has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, which form the largest minority community.

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Incidents of vandalism, looting, arson, land grabbing, and threats to leave the country have been repeatedly inflicted on Hindus after the interim government under the leadership of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on August 8.

The Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad earlier issued an 'open letter' to Yunus, expressing "profound sorrow and concern" over a particular group's "unprecedented violence" against the minorities.

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Even though Yunus and his religious affairs advisor A.F.M. Khalid Hossain assured that the current establishment believes in communal harmony, the communal violence, which began immediately after former PM Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, continues to cause widespread fear, anxiety, and uncertainty among the minorities in Bangladesh, especially Hindus.

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