Latest news with #ChinmoyDas
Hans India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Rights body urges UN, diplomatic community to press Bangladesh for Hindu priest's release
New Delhi: New Delhi-based rights group -- Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) – on Saturday urged the diplomatic community and the United Nations to intervene with the Bangladesh government to release Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a former leader of ISKON and spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, on the occasion of Janmashtami. Chinmoy Das has been in custody since November 25, 2024, in connection with a sedition case. He was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka for allegedly defaming the national flag. Das was also arrested in connection with the murder of assistant government prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif, who was hacked to death during the violent protest sparked by the Hindu leader's arrest. The RRAG on Saturday requested the diplomatic community and the United Nations to intervene with the Government of Bangladesh to release the Hindu Priest from prison custody on the occasion of Janmashtami. The rights body, in a statement, said that Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff General Waqar Uz Zaman, Chief of the Bangladesh Navy Admiral Mohd Nazmul Hussain, and Chief of the Bangladesh Air Force Hasan Mahmud Khan attended the Janmashtami function, the birthday of Lord Krishna, on Saturday in Dhaka. 'This is a sham and a desperate attempt to beguile the international community in the light of the ongoing, relentless atrocities against the Hindus. A total of 2,485 incidents of violence against religious and ethnic minorities were reported during the year of the reign of the caretaker government under the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus,' RRAG Director Suhas Chakma said in a statement. He said that if the Bangladesh government is serious, Chinomoy Das at least ought to be released on bail on Saturday, the birthday of Lord Krishna. Das remains in prison from November 25 last year (2024) first on a private complaint of sedition for allegedly putting the flag of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) on top of Bangladesh's national flag and thereafter, for the murder of a lawyer in court complex when Das was already in police custody and being produced in the court, RRAG Director said. 'If there was any conspiracy by Das to murder the lawyer, it was done by the Bangladeshi security forces under whose custody he was. None of the security officials of the Bangladesh government has been charged for this murder. The prosecution is opposing the bail of Chinmoy Das to send a clear message to the Hindus not to organise any political meeting but remain restricted to religious programmes like celebrating Janmashtami,' Chakma said.
India.com
26-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Bangladesh Rath Yatra 2025: ISKCON to host nine-day festival, first big event after Chinmoy Das controversy, check routes and timings
Bangladesh Rath Yatra 2025: ISKCON to host nine-day festival, first big event after Chinmoy Das controversy, check routes and timings The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will celebrate the traditional nine-day Rath Yatra festival of Sri Sri Jagannath Dev in Bangladesh with tight security in place. An ISKCON priest said the celebrations in Dhaka will begin on Friday. 'Rath Yatra is one of the most important festivals in Sanatan Dharma. Like every year, ISKCON has planned many events in Dhaka to mark the occasion,' the priest shared. He also said that Rath Yatra is a festival full of devotion, peace, and the joyful chanting of Harinama (God's name). The event will begin on Friday, June 27, at 3:00 PM. Bangladesh Rath Yatra routes As per ISKCON's announcement, the chariot will travel through several key areas in Dhaka, including ISKCON Swamibag Ashram, Joykali Temple, Ittefaq Intersection, Shapla Chattar, Dainik Bangla Intersection, near Baitul Mukarram Mosque, Paltan Intersection, Press Club, Kadam Foara, High Court Shrine, Doel Chattar, Shaheed Minar, Jagannath Hall, Palasi Intersection, and finally reach the Dhakeshwari Temple. The return journey will take place on Saturday, July 5, at the same time, and the chariot will come back to Swamibag Temple using the same route in reverse. The Dhaka Traffic Police has asked people to avoid these roads from 2 PM to 6 PM on both June 27 and July 5. Police have assured that enough security arrangements have been made to ensure the Rath Yatra procession takes place smoothly and safely. Arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Tensions between India and Bangladesh have grown since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from power last year. The new leader, Muhammad Yunus, has made several remarks against India, which led to strong responses from New Delhi. During this period, Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent religious figure, was arrested in Bangladesh. A case was filed against him and 18 others at the Kotwali police station in Chattogram on October 30 last year, accusing them of showing disrespect to the national flag of Bangladesh. He serves as the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote. His arrest led to widespread protests by his followers across Dhaka and other parts of the country. In Chattogram, the protest took a violent turn when Assistant Government Prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif was killed in a knife attack, just hours after Das was sent to jail. Later, on April 30, Chinmoy Krishna Das was granted bail. Chinmoy Das has actively spoken out in support of major changes, such as introducing a law to protect minorities, setting up special courts to fast-track cases related to minority persecution, and forming a separate ministry to handle minority affairs. Originally from Satkania Upazila in Chittagong, he became well known at a young age for his powerful religious speeches, earning the title 'Shishu Bokta' or 'child speaker.' From 2016 to 2022, Chinmoy Das worked as the divisional secretary for ISKCON in Chittagong, a branch of the Gaudiya Vaishnav tradition. However, he was removed from the position in 2024.
India Today
30-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Hindu monk Chinmoy Das, arrested for sedition in Bangladesh, gets bail
Six months after he was arrested in a sedition case, the Bangladesh High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das. Chinmoy Das's arrest, which sparked outrage in India, came amid a crackdown on members of the Hindu community after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led the hearing, the Hindu priest's lawyer said Das was ill and suffering in jail without was arrested in Dhaka on November 25 after a case was filed against him for allegedly disrespecting the Bangladesh national flag during a rally of the Hindu community. He gained prominence after addressing a large protest rally in Rangpur, condemning the violence against was sent to jail by a Chattogram court on November 26. His bail was rejected by the same court on December arrest came against the backdrop of growing violence targeting Hindus in Bangladesh, including attacks on temples, homes, and authorities also ordered the freezing of the bank accounts of 17 people associated with Iskcon, including that of to a reply by the government in Parliament, there have been 76 cases of attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh. Over 200 temples have also been attacked by radical
Mint
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
ISKCON priest Chinmoy Das granted bail 6 months after being arrested in Bangladesh
A Bangladesh High Court on Wednesday granted bail to ISKCON leader Chandan Kumar Dhar, known as Chinmoy Krishna Das, in a sedition case, reported The Daily Star. Chinmoy Das was arrested following a controversy that erupted when a sedition case was filed against him and 18 others in Chittagong on October 30 last year. The charges were linked to the hoisting of a saffron flag above Bangladesh's official flag during the October 25 rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram. Chimoy Das was presented before a Chittagong court on Tuesday, where his bail plea was denied, and he was sent into custody. The arrest has triggered widespread outrage, with many demanding his immediate release. Chinmoy Das is anticipated to be released from custody pursuant to the High Court's directive, unless the Supreme Court's Appellate Division issues a stay on the High Court's ruling, according to Advocate Prolad Deb Nath, who represents Chinmoy, as reported by The Daily Star. Under Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh has been going through a tense period with Hindu-majority India over minority issues, sparking protests and counter-protests. Less than 8 per cent of Bangladesh's 170 million people are Hindu. Many in the interim government are unhappy that India is sheltering Hasina, and a special tribunal in Bangladesh has sought her arrest. An official request to India for her extradition remains unanswered. India, which sheltered 10 million refugees and helped Bangladesh gain independence after a nine-month war against Pakistan in 1971, considers Hasina to be a trusted friend. Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was the independence leader of Bangladesh, then the eastern part of Pakistan, India's regional foe. Chinmoy Krishna Das is a prominent advocate for the rights and security of religious minorities in Bangladesh, particularly the Hindu (Sanatani) community. He serves as the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote. Chinmoy Das has been vocal in calling for significant reforms, including the enactment of a minority protection law, the establishment of special tribunals to expedite cases of minority persecution, and the creation of a dedicated ministry for minority affairs. Hailing from Satkania Upazila in Chittagong, Chinmoy Das first rose to prominence through his religious oratory, earning the nickname 'Shishu Bokta' or 'child orator' at an early age. Between 2016 and 2022, he served as the Chittagong divisional secretary of ISKCON, the Gaudiya Vaishnav organisation, before being expelled in 2024. Since the political upheaval following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024, Das has emerged as a leading voice against the escalating violence and discrimination faced by Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. First Published: 30 Apr 2025, 03:15 PM IST
