Photo: Collected
The bail hearing of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, has been rescheduled for 2 January next year. The hearing of his bail plea was scheduled at the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Saiful Islam in Chattogram today (3 December).
"As the prosecution submitted a time petition and there was no lawyer to represent Chinmoy, the court set a new date on (2 January) for hearing the bail petition," said Nazim Uddin, president of Chattogram Bar Association.
Sawtantra Gauranga Das Brahmachari, the organiser of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote told, that the lawyer, Subhashi Sharma, who submitted an affidavit on behalf of Chinmoy, remained unreachable for the last few days.
"He, along with his assistants, approximately 70 lawyers, have been framed in case they all have been in hiding to avoid arrest," he claimed. "Feared by threatening and pressure from a politically motivated lawyers' group, no lawyer is daring to represent Chinmoy," Sawtantra said.
Protests, killing of lawyer
Chinmoy, also the former spokesperson of Iskcon Bangladesh, was arrested by police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 4:30pm on (25 November). Since his arrest, his followers have protested in Dhaka, Chattogram and other parts of the country.
On (26 November) at around 11am, Chinmoy was produced before Chattogram 6th Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Shariful Islam court. After the hearing, the court rejected his bail plea and ordered him to be sent to jail.
A large group of people believed to be supporters of the former Iskcon Bangladesh leader blocked the prison van, carrying him to jail for about two and a half hours. Later, the police dispersed the protesters by throwing sound grenades and took Chinmoy to jail.
Severely injured during the protest, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was rescued from the alley of Rangam Cinema Hall opposite the main entrance to the court and taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The incident led to several calls demanding the ban of Iskcon, which has distanced itself from Chinmoy.
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