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United News of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Chattogram Court okays fresh police questioning of Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Das
Dhaka, May 26 (UNI) A Chattogram court has approved a fresh round of questioning for prominent Bangladeshi Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, deepening concerns among the country's minority communities over what many see as a pattern of state harassment and religious persecution. The order from Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin comes as authorities expand their probe into the deadly November 26 protest, which erupted after the Hindu monk was arrested on charges of sedition. After his arrest, Chinmoy's supporters, who were protesting outside the court in Chattogram, clashed with police in a chaotic confrontation that left a lawyer, Saiful Islam Alif, dead. The incident triggered a flood of legal actions. Authorities filed three cases accusing Chinmoy and hundreds of unnamed supporters of attempting to forcibly free him using 'pre-planned violence' involving weapons, vandalism, and assaults on law enforcement. Alif's family also lodged murder and vandalism cases implicating dozens more—including several Hindu lawyers. 'The court has granted one-day permission to grill the suspect at the jail gate,' said Assistant Public Prosecutor Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury. The investigation officer has been asked to submit a report by June 3, reports Daily Star. Chinmoy, spokesperson for the Sanatani Jagaran Jote and a former ISKCON figure, has been in custody since November 2024, initially arrested over alleged disrespect of the national flag. Though granted bail by the High Court, his release was blocked by the Appellate Division following a state appeal—raising concerns among rights advocates. So far, 40 people have been arrested, 11 of them directly linked to Alif's killing via CCTV footage. For Bangladesh's Hindu community—already reeling from of land grabs, mob attacks, and underreported violence—Chinmoy's case is emblematic of growing intolerance. Critics argue that religious minorities are being targeted under the guise of law and order. Chinmoy faces at least five active cases, making his legal ordeal a test case for religious freedom, civil rights, and the increasingly fragile position of minorities in Bangladesh's judicial and political landscape. UNI ANV RN
United News of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Das to remain in jail, shown arrested in another case
Dhaka, May 5 (UNI) Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, ex leader of ISKCON, who is currently in prison, has been shown as arrested in a case filed over the murder of a lawyer on the day of his arrest in Chittagong on November 26 last year. Chittagong's Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin granted the police application during a virtual hearing on Monday. Earlier, on Sunday, investigating officers submitted applications to show Chinmoy arrested in four cases, including the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, obstruction of police duties, and attacks on lawyers and litigants, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Among these, the court granted the application for shown arrest in the Alif murder case on Monday after a virtual hearing. The hearings on the applications for shown arrest in the remaining three cases are scheduled to take place virtually on Tuesday. Public Prosecutor of the Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court Md Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan, told the Tribune: 'Investigating officers submitted applications on Sunday to show Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested in four cases. The court today (Monday) granted the shown arrest in the Alif murder case after a virtual hearing. The hearings on the other three applications will be held on Tuesday.' Chittagong Metropolitan Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Mofiz Uddin said: 'The court has granted the application to show Chinmoy Das arrested in the case concerning the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. This order was passed on Monday following a virtual hearing.' Chinmoy Das, spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagaran Jote, was earlier arrested in a case of sedition. It followed an event held on October 25, 2024, when a large gathering of the Sanatani community was organised in Chittagong under the leadership of Chinmoy Krishna Das. On October 31, a sedition case was filed against him, alleging disrespect to the Bangladeshi national flag. A total of 19 individuals, including Chinmoy, were named in the case. Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested in Dhaka on November 25, 2024. On November 26, a Chattogram court sent Chinmoy to jail after rejecting his bail plea in the sedition case. Following the order, his supporters staged a protest, blocking the police prison van. Police charged with batons to disperse the demonstrators, triggering a violent clash in the court area. During the unrest, Advocate Alif was beaten and hacked to death amid a clash involving Chinmoy's supporters, police, and a group of lawyers. In connection with the incident, police filed three separate cases—on charges of attacking police, vandalism, and obstructing law enforcement duties—naming 79 individuals and accusing around 1,400 unidentified others. Alif's father later filed the murder case against 31 individuals, while his brother, Khan-e-Alam, filed another case with Kotwali Police Station, naming 115 accused including 70 lawyers, over vandalism. Another person, Mohammad Ullah Chowdhury, filed a separate case accusing 69 individuals of attacking him during the clashes outside the court building. To date, police have arrested 40 individuals in connection with the various cases. Of them, 11—mostly cleaners by profession—were held for their alleged involvement in the lawyer's murder, based on CCTV footage analysis. Chinmoy's bail application was rejected by the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Chittagong on January 2, 2025. Subsequently, he filed a bail petition with the High Court. On February 4, 2025, the High Court issued a two-week rule asking why he should not be granted bail in the sedition case.
United News of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Bangladeshi Hindu leader Chinmoy Das finally granted bail, Yunus govt files appeal against bail
Dhaka, Apr 30 (UNI) Bangladeshi Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das was finally granted bail late on Wednesday evening, hours after the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order of earlier in the day granting bail to the Hindu monk. In a day of rapid developments, the bail of Chinmoy Das was stayed following a petition filed by the government seeking a stay on the HC verdict. Justice Md Rezaul Haque, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division, stayed the bail. Additional Attorneys General Mohammad Arshadur Rouf and Aneek R Haque had moved the stay petition on behalf of the state, the Daily Star reported. Later on, the apex court chamber judge withdrew its stay order on a suo moto (voluntary) move as no lawyers for Chinmoy Das were present at the time, Chinmoy's lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee told The Daily Star in the evening. The chamber judge may hold a hearing on the state's stay petition on Sunday in the presence of lawyers from both sides, according to Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Farid Uddin Khan. Earlier around 3 pm today, the HC bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza granted bail to Chinmoy. Senior lawyers ZI Khan Panna, Prabir Ranjon Halder and Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee had placed arguments before the HC, saying that their client was innocent as there was no specific allegation against him. They also prayed to the HC bench to grant bail to Chinmoy, saying that he was ill and suffering in jail without trial. Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque opposed the bail petition, saying that Chinmoy could interfere in the investigation proceedings if he is granted bail and released from jail. Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, was booked in a sedition case over alleged desecration of the Bangladeshi flag. Earlier, on February 4, the HC issued a rule asking the government to explain why Chinmoy should not be granted bail in the sedition case, while rejecting his bail plea. Lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee represented Chinmoy in court while Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque appeared for the state. Chinmoy, head of the ISKCON-run Pundarik Dham Temple in Chattogram, had spoken out against attacks on minorities across Bangladesh since the Aug 5, 2024, ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government. Following a public rally at Chattogram's Laldighi Maidan on October 25 last year, a sedition case was filed on October 30 against Chinmoy and 18 others at Kotwali Police Station, on charges of alleged sedition – of placing the saffron flag higher than the Bangladesh national flag, charges he has denied. Chinmoy was arrested at Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport on November 25 in connection with the sedition case. On November 26, after a lower court denied Chinmoy's bail, clashes broke out within the Chattogram court premises amid protests by his supporters. Later that day, a lawyer Saiful Islam was beaten and hacked to death in a nearby area, and the blame was put on Chinmoy's supporters. Several cases were filed against Chinmoy and others following the murder of the lawyer On January 2, the Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court rejected Chinmoy's bail plea. His lawyer later applied to the High Court on January 12. The High Court issued a rule asking why Chinmoy should not be granted bail on February 4. UNI RN
United News of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Das granted bail by High Court in sedition case
Dhaka, Apr 30 (UNI) Prominent Bangladeshi Hindu leader and former ISKCON priest Chinmoy Das was granted bail by the High Court today, after spending five months in jail in a sedition case. The bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza passed the order after holding the hearing on a bail petition filed by Das, head of the Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote. The Hindu monk is expected to be released from jail following the HC order, unless the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stays the HC verdict, Advocate Prahlad Debnath, a lawyer for Chinmoy, told The Daily Star. On April 23, Chinmoy's lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee prayed to the HC bench to grant bail to his client, saying that Chinmoy is ill and suffering in jail without trial. Das was arrested without trial in Dhaka on November 25 after a case was filed against him on October 31 last year by BNP member Firoz Khan, accusing him of insulting the Bangladesh national flag at a Hindu community rally. A court in Chattogram sent him to jail on November 26 and later denied him bail on December 11. Chinmoy Das, head of the ISKCON-run Pundarik Dham Temple in Chattogram, had spoken out against attacks on minorities across the country since the Aug 5, 2024 overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government. The news of his arrest had sparked protests across several districts, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Cumilla, Khulna, Dinajpur, and Cox's Bazar. Protests had been held in ISKCON centres in India and across the world. The Hindu monk's arrest attracted considerable attention in international circles, with human rights organisations expressing great concern over the mistreatment of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and the suppression of dissenting voices under the Mohammed Yunus regime. In addition, the arrest of Das has also raised several concerns about the safety of legal professionals and the fairness of the judicial processes in Bangladesh, due to the courts' appeasement of Islamists, and the government's hold over the judiciary.
Express Tribune
21-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Google: The globe's search engine or just India's cheerleader?
Google, the world's largest search engine, found itself at the centre of controversy after a seemingly innocent Champions Trophy match result triggered a storm. A post celebrating India's win against Bangladesh, captioned "Aaj neend acchi aayegi 💙" (Tonight, sleep will be peaceful), left many wondering—has Google dropped its neutrality? When search turns to support The tech giant, which is led by Indian-born CEO Sundar Pichai, has long been accused of favouring Indian interest. The optics are certainly hard to ignore. Google's official page posting an India-supporting meme felt less like a global tech platform and more like a cricket fan account. This isn't just about cricket; the dilemma runs deeper. Should a company that dominates global information flow show allegiance—however subtle—to one nation? Google has long been accused to having an 'Indian bias.' A recent analysis by the Asia Times found that search results about the arrest of Bangladeshi Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das disproportionately featured Indian media outlets, including ultranationalist sources, while credible Bangladeshi outlets were buried in later pages. Google's search engine, which processes millions of queries per second, has been criticized for algorithmic bias, particularly in its handling of sensitive regional conflicts. This bias, amplified by Indian news organizations' use of English and advanced SEO techniques, has contributed to a misinformation campaign exaggerating religious violence in Bangladesh. Amid rising tensions between India and Bangladesh, the search engine's algorithm appears to favor content that aligns with Indian nationalist perspectives, potentially distorting public perception. Bias or blunder? If Google can casually celebrate India's sporting victories, does it mean other nations don't get the same treatment? Will an Afghanistan or Pakistan win be met with similar enthusiasm? For a company that prides itself on neutrality, this slip-up is a PR nightmare. If Google wants to continue being the world's search engine, it might need to step back from looking like a cricket fanboy.
