Minority organisation in B'desh demands release of arrested Hindu monk

A minority group in Bangladesh on Sunday called for the "immediate release" of Chinmoy Krishna Das, asserting that the case against the arrested Hindu monk is "false" and "harassing", according to a media report.

Das, a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25. A court in Chattogram sent him to jail, rejecting his bail petition as he was accused of a sedition charge for allegedly disrespecting the country's flag. The hearing in the case will be held on January 2, 2025.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCOP) released a statement demanding his immediate release, the Prothom Alo news portal reported.

Signed by the BHBCOP's acting General Secretary Manindra Kumar Nath, the statement said that the sedition case filed against 19 people, including Das, was false and harassing.

It called for the release of all those arrested in the case, according to the report.

Ties between New Delhi and Dhaka have deteriorated in recent weeks following Das' arrest and attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 following a student-led protest.