Hindu leader Chinmoy Prabhu Das Brahmachari was talking about minority persecution, perpetrated by the Islamist extremist groups supporting the Yunus-led interim government since the August 5 changeover.

His inflammatory speech at the Rangpur rally on November 22 created a stir. He cited historical incidents of repression, concrete facts of attacks by Islamists, and the inaction of the police and the administration in preventing the attacks and carrying out a proper investigation.

The Jamaat-controlled administration, its student gangs, and radical Islamists got frustrated as they continued to deny incidents of a communal nature and tried to justify the attacks by citing them as political revenge against the Awami League (as if political attacks are permitted by law).

So, a false sedition case was filed by a BNP leader in Chittagong, bypassing the Home Ministry authorization, to claim that a Bangladesh flag was defamed by putting an ISKCON flag atop it, leading to the arrest of the most vocal human rights activist.

Pro-Pakistani Yunus’ hatred against Awami League, Hindus, India is not new

Factbox: Minority repression by Yunus government supporters

Even though the BNP expelled its leader, Firoz Khan, general secretary of BNP’s Ward No. 5 Mohora unit, for filing this false case, the Yunus government stood by his side at the order of law adviser Professor Asif Nazrul.

Firoz Khan filed the sedition case on October 31 with Kotwali police station, accusing Chinmoy and 18 others of disrespecting the national flag during a rally on October 25 in the port city’s New Market area.

The interim government claims that a vested quarter is spreading lies of communal attacks to malign it. It mainly blames Indian media and pro-government activists for disinformation campaigns regarding the minority repression.

However, according to the findings of investigations carried out by Prothom Alo’s correspondents all over the country (64 districts and 67 upazilas), at least 1,068 attacks on the minority community took place in 49 districts from August 5 to 20, of which 560 had no links to the Awami League.

The Daily Star reported that Hindu houses and business establishments were attacked and looted by mobs in at least 27 districts on August 5.

The National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh said, “Such violation of human rights can tarnish the image of the country. The law enforcement agencies, civil society and students should play an effective role in maintaining communal harmony.”

US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in January that there are repeated allegations of violent attacks against Hindus and other minorities and that the police have failed to ensure protection. Groups promoting extremist Islam are attacking minorities, particularly those from Hindu and Ahmadiyya communities. Ethnic minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts endure continued discrimination and violence by the authorities. Mobs targeted those perceived to be supporters of the Hasina government, including religious minorities.

The pro-Yunus Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said religious and ethnic minorities, marginalized communities, and those with dissenting opinions have become victims of violence. Six people died, and hundreds were injured in clashes and arson incidents between Bengalis and tribals in Khagrachhari and Rangamati.

Even the biased and incomplete report by the OHCHR said, “Hindus, Ahmadiyya Muslims and indigenous people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts were also subjected to human rights abuses. While some 100 arrests in relation to attacks on distinct religious and indigenous groups have reportedly been made, the perpetrators of many other acts of revenge violence and attacks on such groups still enjoy impunity.”

Travesty of justice

Chinmoy Prabhu was denied bail on multiple occasions, and his lawyers were beaten and threatened. However, the police couldn’t produce the flags or file an investigation report, though around six months have passed since the case was filed. Instead, they arrested several associates of Chinmoy Prabhu.

When the High Court granted him bail on May 1, additional attorneys general Mohammad Arshadur Rouf and prominent human rights lawyer Aneek R Haque ran towards Chamber Judge Justice Md Rezaul Haque’s room and got his bail stayed.

Afterwards, the judge changed his mind. In a suo moto rule, he withdrew his order, pending a hearing on Sunday. The fiasco occurred because no lawyers were present to represent the accused.

Meanwhile, Yunus’ Nagorik Party leaders have threatened with dire consequences if Chinmoy Prabhu gets bail. They earlier campaigned against Chinmoy and ISKCON when he was organizing rallies in Dhaka and every division of the country.

Earlier, the High Court bench of Justice Md Atoar Rahman and Justice Md Ali Reza granted bail to Chinmoy around 3pm on Thursday.

Senior lawyers ZI Khan Panna, Prabir Ranjon Halder and Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee argued that there was no specific allegation against him. They also submitted that Chinmoy was ill and suffering in jail without a trial.

On the other hand, Additional Attorney General Haque opposed the bail, saying that Chinmoy could interfere in the investigation proceedings if he were released from jail. He may also flee, as he had absconded before his arrest.

Lawyer Apurba Kumar submitted the bail petition on behalf of Chinmoy on January 12. The bench issued a rule on February 4, asking the state to explain in two weeks why the accused should not be granted bail in the case.

Earlier, Chinmoy was denied bail by a Chittagong court on November 26, a day after he was arrested in Dhaka. After the hearing, his supporters barricaded the police van carrying the Hindu leader. Police used batons to disperse them.

The Chittagong Lawyers Association asked its members not to represent Das and other alleged people responsible for the death of Jamaat-backed lawyer Saiful Islam following violence in the court on November 27.

In the bail hearing, the counsels presented that the sedition case filed against Chinmoy on charges of flag desecration is baseless. The flag that is flown under the ISKCON flag in the video of the rally is actually the one with a moon and stars. Therefore, it is not Bangladesh’s flag. Furthermore, the plaintiff did not attach any section of the flag desecration to the case.

The flag that is mentioned as desecration is also not on the seizure list. Therefore, the complaint lacks proper proof.

It was also presented in the bail hearing that although Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bangladesh requires formal approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs to file a case on charges of sedition, it did not happen in this case. No person can file a sedition case without the permission of the state. The court also does not have jurisdiction to consider such a case. There are procedural errors in the case. Since this case is baseless, Chinmoy is entitled to bail.

During the hearing, the lawyers also said that Chinmoy has a specific address, so there is no chance of his fleeing if he gets bail.

On the other hand, state counsel Mafizul Haque Bhuiyan argued that the sedition case is not bailable, and therefore, Chinmoy has no chance of getting bail.

Ban on ISKCON?

Following the death of Saiful, the jihadist threats were so intense that ISKCON held a press conference on November 28 to confirm that Chinmoy was not part of the religious organization.

They also said the demand to ban ISKCON Bangladesh for Chinmoy Krishna’s activities is not reasonable.

On October 3, ISKCON officially stated that Chinmoy Krishna Das is not their spokesperson. Therefore, his statement is completely personal. In July 2024, ISKCON expelled him for not adhering to its discipline.

ISKCON Bangladesh General Secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari further said that a continuous attempt to spread false, fabricated and purposeful propaganda about ISKCON Bangladesh was observed across the country, which targeted the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote movement.

This attempt has reached its peak, especially after the tragic death of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif of Chittagong. This is being done unfairly, he said.

He said, “We want to clearly state that ISKCON Bangladesh has no involvement in such a heinous incident and the ongoing movement. This falsehood has now reached such a level that even issues like road accidents are being portrayed as ISKCON’s conspiracy.”

ISKCON Bangladesh President Satya Ranjan Baroi strongly called for ensuring exemplary punishment for the perpetrators involved in the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam. He said, “ISKCON Bangladesh is a non-political and peaceful religious organization, which is dedicated to communal harmony, religious tolerance and human welfare in Bangladesh as well as the rest of the world.”

Click to read more about the case, factbox of the attacks, and the anti-Hindu mindset of Yunus, Jamaat-Shibir and Pakistan.