Daijiworld Media Network - Chittagong
Chittagong, May 5: In a significant development, Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, was shown arrested by a local court on Monday in connection with the murder of Chittagong court lawyer Saiful Islam Alif.
Alif was allegedly hacked to death outside the court premises on November 7, 2024. During a virtual hearing, Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate S M Alauddin granted police the request to show Das’ arrest in the case.
“Investigating officers submitted applications on Sunday to show Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested in four cases. The court on Monday granted shown arrest in the Alif murder case. The hearings for the other three will be held Tuesday,” said Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan, Public Prosecutor of the Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, as quoted by Dhaka Tribune.
This comes days after the Bangladesh Supreme Court’s Appellate Division stayed a High Court order granting bail to Das in a separate sedition case. Justice Rezaul Haque passed the order on April 30 following a state counsel’s appeal, keeping the stay in force until the leave-to-appeal petition is filed and the verdict’s full text is released.
Das was initially arrested on November 25, 2024, in Dhaka over sedition charges related to alleged disrespect of the national flag during a rally. His arrest sparked nationwide and international outrage, especially from the Hindu community.
He was denied bail by a Chittagong court on November 26 and again on December 11, 2024.
Since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 and the formation of an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh has seen rising violence against Hindu minorities. India has voiced concern, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently raising the issue of minority safety with Yunus during the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.
The situation worsened with the brutal killing of Hindu leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy, associated with the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Committee, who was abducted and murdered on April 18.