Bangladesh court again rejects bail for Hindu leader charged with sedition

An outspoken Hindu leader who advocates for the protection of minority groups in Bangladesh was once more denied bail by a court in Bangladesh.

According to Public Prosecutor Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan, Metropolitan Sessions Judge Saiful Islam rejected Krishna Das Prabhu’s bail plea at the court’s hearing in Chattogram’s southeastern city.

Police and soldiers surrounded the court while there was a tight security at the hearing. Violence had erupted following a previous bail hearing in November, with Prabhu’s followers accused of killing a Muslim public prosecutor.

Prabhu, 39, is facing sedition charges after being detained for allegedly disobeying the Bangladeshi flag at a rally in Chattogram.

Hindu organizations claim that since the nearly 16-year government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown, there have been hundreds of attacks on Hindus.

He faces serious charges, including sedition and those that threaten our nation’s security and sovereignty, according to Bhuiyan, who spoke to The Associated Press via phone.

We argued in the court that if he is granted bail, it could lead to a system of chaos, as we have seen in the past when he allegedly sparked violence on the court by calling his supporters to protest. We therefore objected to his bail request because we thought he might be able to use his bail without bail.

The Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Jote group’s spokesman is Prabhu. He is also a member of the Hare Krishna movement, or ISKCON, also known as.

Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee, a lawyer representing Prabhu, said they would appeal the decision.

Radharamn Das, vice president and spokesman of ISKCON in Kolkata, the capital of India’s West Bengal state, told India Today network that Prabhu’s health was deteriorating. He claimed that the Hindu leader who was imprisoned “has become a face of minority people in Bangladesh.”

He is seen as a ray of hope by “the minority.” He represents their voice”, Das said.

Meanwhile, the family of the lawyer hacked to death in November, Saiful Islam Alif, has filed two separate cases against those they say are linked to his death. 58 Hindu attorneys are accused of carrying explosives and vandalism.

Bangladesh saw religious tensions after a mainly student-led revolution toppled “autocratic” Hasina. Hasina, who has been living in exile since protesters stormed her palace on August 5, was supported by India’s Hindu nationalist government.

Bangladesh in December requested India send Hasina back to face charges of “massacres, killings, and crimes against humanity”. India acknowledged receiving the request, but it did not make further comments.

Hindu and other minority groups have criticized the interim government under the leadership of Muhammad Yunus as having undermined their security following Hasina’s fall.