Dhaka, Apr 30 (UNI) Bangladeshi Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das was finally granted bail late on Wednesday evening, hours after the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order of earlier in the day granting bail to the Hindu monk.
In a day of rapid developments, the bail of Chinmoy Das was stayed following a petition filed by the government seeking a stay on the HC verdict. Justice Md Rezaul Haque, the chamber judge of the Appellate Division, stayed the bail.
Additional Attorneys General Mohammad Arshadur Rouf and Aneek R Haque had moved the stay petition on behalf of the state, the Daily Star reported.
Later on, the apex court chamber judge withdrew its stay order on a suo moto (voluntary) move as no lawyers for Chinmoy Das were present at the time, Chinmoy's lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee told The Daily Star in the evening.
The chamber judge may hold a hearing on the state's stay petition on Sunday in the presence of lawyers from both sides, according to Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Farid Uddin Khan.
Earlier around 3 pm today, the HC bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza granted bail to Chinmoy.
Senior lawyers ZI Khan Panna, Prabir Ranjon Halder and Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee had placed arguments before the HC, saying that their client was innocent as there was no specific allegation against him.
They also prayed to the HC bench to grant bail to Chinmoy, saying that he was ill and suffering in jail without trial.
Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque opposed the bail petition, saying that Chinmoy could interfere in the investigation proceedings if he is granted bail and released from jail.
Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, was booked in a sedition case over alleged desecration of the Bangladeshi flag.
Earlier, on February 4, the HC issued a rule asking the government to explain why Chinmoy should not be granted bail in the sedition case, while rejecting his bail plea.
Lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee represented Chinmoy in court while Additional Attorney General Aneek R Haque appeared for the state.
Chinmoy, head of the ISKCON-run Pundarik Dham Temple in Chattogram, had spoken out against attacks on minorities across Bangladesh since the Aug 5, 2024, ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Following a public rally at Chattogram’s Laldighi Maidan on October 25 last year, a sedition case was filed on October 30 against Chinmoy and 18 others at Kotwali Police Station, on charges of alleged sedition – of placing the saffron flag higher than the Bangladesh national flag, charges he has denied.
Chinmoy was arrested at Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport on November 25 in connection with the sedition case.
On November 26, after a lower court denied Chinmoy’s bail, clashes broke out within the Chattogram court premises amid protests by his supporters.
Later that day, a lawyer Saiful Islam was beaten and hacked to death in a nearby area, and the blame was put on Chinmoy’s supporters.
Several cases were filed against Chinmoy and others following the murder of the lawyer
On January 2, the Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court rejected Chinmoy’s bail plea.
His lawyer later applied to the High Court on January 12.
The High Court issued a rule asking why Chinmoy should not be granted bail on February 4.
UNI RN