Chinmoy Krishna Das | The monk who defied the mob Premium

Chinmoy Krishna Das faces legal troubles in Bangladesh for alleged involvement in religious violence and political activism.

The case against Chinmoy Krishna Das goes back to October when, against the backdrop of attacks against growing mob violence, which often targeted minority religious communities in Bangladesh, he provided leadership and direction to the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, an umbrella organisation of the Hindu community in the country.

A case against Mr. Das was lodged on October 31, days after three separate rallies were convened under his leadership in different parts of the country, where the national flag was reportedly disrespected.

Mr. Das was arrested in dramatic circumstances on October 25 from Dhaka’s Shah Jalal International Airport, and the next day, while he was produced in a court in Chittagong, violent clashes broke out between hundreds of political activists and the police that left a young lawyer dead.

Ever since, the allegations against Mr. Das have compounded as he was also accused of encouraging the clashes on the court premises.

Mr. Das first shot to the limelight with his fiery speeches demanding protection for the Hindu community in Bangladesh in the aftermath of the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime on August 5, 2024.

Bangladesh has an old history of anti-minority violence, dating back to its days as East Pakistan, which found its worst manifestation in the Operation Searchlight of March 25, 1971, when the Pakistan military began killing Hindus and progressives in Dhaka and other parts.

The Hindus and Buddhists of East Pakistan had begun mobilising themselves in the 1960s, when Gen. Ayub Khan was in power, leading to the formation of the Bangladesh Hindu Bouddho Oikyo Samiti (BHBOS). The BHBOS survived the 1971 crackdown by the Pakistan military and emerged as a political force in the 1980s when it participated in the pro-democracy protests that eventually overthrew the military regime of Hossein Mohammed Ershad.