BJP leaders meet lawyer for ISKCON monk arrested in Bangladesh

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Subhendu Adhikari, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul and other party MLAs protested the arrest of ISKCON monk and Bangladesh Sanatan Jagran Jot spokesman Chinmoy Krishna Das in Kolkata. Photo Credit: ANI

A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Tuesday (Dec 17, 2024) met Bangladeshi lawyer Ravindra Ghosh, 75, who is defending jailed Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, and praised him for his efforts to save an arrested ISKCON monk. The meeting took place in North 24 Parganas district of Barrackpore region, where Mr. Ghosh is visiting his son’s home for medical treatment.

The BJP group included senior BJP leaders Arjun Singh and Kaustab Bagchi. Chief monk of Bharat Sevashram Karthik Maharaj was present along with BJP leaders. Mr. Ghosh said he would represent Mr. Chinmoy Krishna Das when his case comes up for hearing in a court in Chattogram on January 2.

Calling the Bangladesh court’s decision not to grant bail to the arrested monk “illegal”, the lawyer said he would use all available legal options to free Mr. Chinmay Krishna Das. Earlier, it was reported that no lawyer represented the Hindu monk in the Bangladesh court, thus prolonging his jail life.

“I go to Dhaka and from there to Chattogram. There are various ways to appeal against the order (of arrest) of a monk,” said Mr. Ghosh.

Mr. Chinmoy Krishna Das, associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was arrested by the Dhaka Police on November 25 and has been in jail since then.

The arrest of the monk, and reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, have upended the political situation in West Bengal, sparking protests and demonstrations across the state.

“We appreciate Rabindra Ghosh’s courage in fighting for justice for Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Despite the danger to his life, his tireless efforts inspire us,” former Bairakpur MP Arjun Singh said after the meeting.

Karthik Maharaj also praised Mr. Ghosh’s commitment to justice and said that the people of West Bengal fully supported him. Meanwhile, ISKCON Kolkata vice-president Radharaman Das posted a video on social media alleging that a Hindu businessman Pranakrishna Das was attacked in Bangladesh’s Dakshin Khaserhat market in Tajumuddin upazila of Bhola district.