“I am not a coward. I have not fled Bangladesh. I will return to my country and continue to fight for justice and the release of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das,” says Ravindra Ghosh, 75, sitting on the roof of his son’s Barrackpore home as the house is thronged with visitors.
Ghosh, a lawyer at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, feels that he no longer recognizes his country. “Mohammad Yunus’ interim government claims to be a new government, but this is not the Bangladesh born in 1971. It is another Bangladesh, born on August 8, 2024 (the day the student movement ousted Sheikh Hasina’s government). They intend to destroy the country. They They are trying to create a new Bangladesh and a new Pakistan,” Ghosh, who reached Kolkata two days ago for treatment at AIIMS in Kalyani, told The Indian Express.
Ghosh, who is also the president of Bangladesh Minority Watch, tried twice to appear before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s court in Chittagong to file a bail plea for ISKCON Bhikshu Das, who was arrested on sedition charges, but failed.
“Chinmoy Krishna Das is a monk, with a very dedicated personality. He was doing a lot of good work in Bangladesh, for the society and the country. He was arrested on a false case. This is not a case of sedition. It is a fabricated and inspired case. His popularity in Bangladesh is increasing. And a case of sedition has been filed against him because he was disliked by a section of the people. This arrest is an instigation of other political parties,” says Ghosh, who received death threats for representing the monk in court.
“This is a difficult situation. Most of the lawyers trying to defend Chinmoy Krishna Das are caught up in the murder case… I am barred from going to Chittagong to represent the monk in the Bangladesh Supreme Court as a lawyer. I have been asked to appoint another lawyer from the Chittagong Bar Association. Why? Many lawyers do not go for fear of being arrested. Many lawyers, especially those from the prosecution, are angry with me because I have been representing Chinmoy Krishna Das in court,” says Ghosh.
“When I went to court and tried to argue for my client, most of the lawyers, who belonged to the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party), threatened me, abused me. On the second day, the police rescued me. The lawyers raised slogans saying ‘I am the broker of India’. “When I tried to meet Chinmay Krishna Das in jail, I was harassed at every step,” he says.
“It is unfortunate as I am a citizen of Bangladesh. We got independence in 1971, and I am a freedom fighter. However, despite this, this discrimination continues. We are fighting against discrimination,’ he added.
According to Ghosh, after the fall of the Hasina government, atrocities on the people, especially the religious minorities, have increased. There is no law and order in the country. Minorities are being tortured and displaced from their homes… Life was safe during Sheikh Hasina’s rule, but now there is no security… Bangladesh has forgotten its past. The country became independent with the help of India. Pakistan Army has killed so many soldiers. India’s contribution is huge, but the people have forgotten… everyone should come together and decide that peaceful existence is needed. Only then can Bangladesh restore democracy and secularism,” he added.
Although his family is worried about his safety and wants him to return to Kolkata, Ghosh says he is determined to return. “I am not afraid of death. I am going back to my country and fighting for justice,’ he added.
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