A Bangladesh court on Tuesday announced that the next bail hearing in the arrest of Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das will be on January 2, 2025 after no lawyer represented him, according to reports.
Earlier, the Iskcon on Monday said that Das’ lawyer Ramen Roy has been hospitalized after he brutally attacked was attacked.
Meanwhile, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kolkata appealed to the Bangladesh government to ensure the safety of lawyers willing to represent Das.
The organisation’s vice-president Radharamn Das said that no new lawyer has come forward to represent Chinmoy Krishna following the attack on Roy, citing safety concerns.
“No new lawyer has come up to fight his case till now. Those who want to fight the case are afraid that they might face the same consequences as Ramen Roy. We would request the Bangladesh government to provide the lawyers who are willing to fight the case with adequate safety and security,” he said.
“It must be ensured that such targeted attacks are dealt with sternly. The situation is deeply alarming and highlights the hostile environment faced by those supporting justice for minorities in Bangladesh,” he added.
Radharamn Das also said that Roy was attacked for being legal defense for Das. He also said that his home was ransacked , “leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life”.
“Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only ‘fault’ was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life. #SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu,” he posted on X along with a picture of Roy in ICU.
Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on November 27 and charged for sedition. He and 18 others are accused of hoisting a saffron flag above the Bangladeshi national flag during a rally on October 25 at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram.
Das was presented before a Chattogram court earlier on Tuesday, where his bail plea was denied, leading to his remand in custody. Bangladeshi authorities ordered the freezing of bank accounts linked to 17 individuals associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), including Chinmoy Krishna Das, for a 30-day period.
Additionally, two more Iskcon priests Adi Purush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das were arrested on Friday while returning from serving prasad to Das in prison.