Bangladesh: Hindu monk granted bail in sedition case
A Bangladesh court on Wednesday granted bail to Hindu religious leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case, The Daily Star reported.
The monk, who was formerly associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, will be released from prison unless the country’s Supreme Court stays the High Court’s bail order, Das’ lawyer told the newspaper.
Das has been in jail since November 25. He is the spokesperson of the Sammilito Sanatani Jagaron Jote, an organisation that advocates for the rights of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
He was arrested for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally on October 25 in Chittagong.
Following Das’ arrest in November, India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated its concern over alleged attacks on Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh, and called for a “fair and transparent” trial for the Hindu leader.
“Our position on the matter is clear – the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities,” ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said. “We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation…ISKCON is a globally well-regarded organisation with a strong record of social service.”
In response, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said that the developments surrounding Das’ arrest were the country’s “internal affairs”. It rejected India’s remarks urging Dhaka to “ensure the...
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