ISKCON priest denied bail by Bangla court

Dhaka: A Bangladesh court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu monk and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote, also associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), during a hearing held under tight security, the local media reported. Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam rejected the bail plea after hearing arguments from both sides for around 30 minutes, said Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan to The Daily Star.

As many as 11 Supreme Court lawyers, led by Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, represented the ISKCON priest in the high-profile sedition case.

Following the hearing, Chinmoy's lawyer, Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, said they plan to appeal to the High Court for bail.

Arrested on November 25 from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on sedition charges, Das has remained in jail amid growing calls for justice.

The charges, filed against Das and 18 others, were linked to the hoisting of a saffron flag above the country's official flag during a protest rally on October 25 in Chattogram's Laldighi Maidan.