Bangladesh’s High Court has rejected a fresh bail petition by Hindu monk Brahmachari Chinmoy Krishna Das, deepening concerns about the treatment of religious minorities under the newly formed government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The two‑judge bench in Dhaka denied bail on Sunday, stating that the trial in the 2024 murder case linked to the beating‑death of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif is actively underway in a lower court in Chattogram, and that witness‑testimony recording makes judicial intervention at this stage inappropriate.
Defense counsel Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya explained that the court observed that the Chattogram sessions court is in the midst of taking witness statements, and therefore declined to disturb the trial process by granting interim bail.
The High Court, however, scheduled a hearing for Monday to consider separate bail applications in four additional cases filed against the monk, keeping open the possibility of limited relief in other matters while the main murder case continues.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former ISKCON leader and spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagran Jote, has already spent extended periods in detention over separate sedition and “insult to the national flag” charges, with earlier bail orders being stayed by the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.
His continued incarceration, combined with violence and targeted attacks against Hindu communities in Bangladesh, has fuelled perceptions among Hindu‑rights groups that “there is no real relief for Hindus under Tarique Rahman,” and has intensified diplomatic and civil‑society pressure on Dhaka to ensure fair trial rights and minority safety.
