Chinmoy Das Arrested, Bangladesh’s top Hindu spokesperson now arrested in murder case. Protests erupt amid growing communal tension.
Amid escalating political tensions and rising violence against minorities in Bangladesh, a Chittagong court on Monday ordered that prominent Hindu leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, Chinmoy Krishna Das, be shown arrested in connection with the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. The development has sent shockwaves through the Hindu community in Bangladesh and beyond.
The case pertains to the brutal killing of Saiful Islam Alif, a lawyer at the Chittagong court, who was allegedly hacked to death on November 7, 2024, just outside the court premises. Das, already in custody on sedition charges, was formally shown arrested in the murder case following a virtual hearing.
Metropolitan Magistrate S M Alauddin granted the police application to show Das as arrested in the case during the virtual court proceedings. “The investigating officers submitted four separate applications on Sunday to show Chinmoy Krishna Das as arrested in various cases. The court has approved the one related to the Alif murder case. Hearings for the remaining three will be held on Tuesday,” said Public Prosecutor Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.
|Also Read Dhaka Tribune Report : Chinmoy Das shown arrested in lawyer Alif murder case|
|Also Read bdnews24 report : Court orders Chinmoy Das shown arrested in lawyer Alif murder case |
Sedition Charges and Legal Hurdles
Das has been in jail since November 25, 2024, following his arrest in Dhaka over charges of sedition, allegedly for disrespecting the national flag during a rally in Chittagong. His arrest sparked widespread outrage from civil society groups, legal experts, and international Hindu organizations, many of whom claimed the charges were politically motivated and part of a broader campaign of harassment against Hindu minorities.
The situation intensified on April 30, when the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court stayed a High Court order that had granted bail to Das in the sedition case. The stay, issued by Justice Rezaul Haque, remains in effect until a leave-to-appeal petition is filed and the full judgment text is released.
Earlier bail pleas by Das were also denied. On December 11, 2024, a Chittagong court refused to grant him bail, keeping him incarcerated under sedition allegations. Now, with his formal arrest in the murder case, his legal troubles appear to be mounting.
|Also Read : Chinmoy Krishna Das Granted Bail by Bangladesh High Court |
Rising Attacks on the Hindu Community
The arrest and subsequent legal proceedings against Chinmoy Krishna Das come against a grim backdrop of rising communal violence and political instability in Bangladesh. Since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024, the country has been engulfed in unrest. The formation of an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has coincided with a marked increase in attacks against Hindu minorities.
In a recent and gruesome incident on April 18, Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a senior figure in the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Committee, was abducted from his home and later found beaten to death by four attackers. The incident, like many others, remains under investigation with little progress reported.
International Reactions
The Indian government has taken a strong position on the issue, consistently raising concerns about the “systematic persecution of Hindu minorities” in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the matter directly with Muhammad Yunus during their recent meeting at the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, calling for concrete action to protect minority rights and religious freedom.
The Hindu diaspora and rights groups have also condemned the treatment of leaders like Chinmoy Krishna Das. Protests have been held in cities across India, the UK, and the US, demanding his immediate release and calling attention to what they describe as the “targeted suppression of Hindu voices” in Bangladesh.
|Also Read : Hindu Leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy Abducted and Killed in Bangladesh |
Ongoing Legal and Political Battle
As the legal hearings on the remaining three cases proceed on Tuesday, supporters of Das fear that these charges are part of a concerted campaign to silence dissent and intimidate the Hindu leadership. Meanwhile, human rights organizations are urging the Bangladeshi government to ensure transparency in the investigation and to protect the rights of all citizens regardless of faith.
With communal tensions simmering and political uncertainty deepening, the case of Chinmoy Krishna Das remains emblematic of the broader crisis gripping Bangladesh today.
