Bangladesh grants bail to outspoken Hindu monk

DHAKA: A Bangladesh court on Wednesday granted bail to an outspoken monk leading a movement for the protection of Hindus in the Muslim-majority nation, but he remains in custody pending a possible appeal.

Chinmoy Krishna Das was granted bail by Dhaka´s High Court, his lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee said.

“We expect him to be released from jail in a week or so, if the government decides not to appeal to the Supreme Court,” Bhattacharjee said.

Das, who was arrested in November 2024 for sedition for allegedly disrespecting the Bangladeshi flag during a rally, denies the charges.

Aneek R. Haque, an additional attorney general, said the government “haven´t yet decided whether we will file an appeal”.

In November, when an earlier bail hearing was denied in Chattogram, violent protests erupted with devotees of Das going on the rampage, and lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was killed.

Alif´s family have filed cases against individuals they claim were linked to his death -- including 58 Hindu lawyers accused of vandalism and carrying explosives.

Religious relations have been turbulent in Bangladesh since a student-led revolution toppled autocratic prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August.

India´s Hindu-nationalist government had been a key supporter of Hasina, who fled to New Delhi as crowds stormed her palace.

Hasina has defied Dhaka´s extradition request for her to face charges of crimes against humanity.