New Delhi [India], November 27 : Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday condemned the arrest and denial of bail to ISKCON Bangladesh priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari and urged the United Nations to intervene in the matter.
Singh accused Bangladesh's interim government of acting under the influence of radical elements.
Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "The Bangladesh government is working under the pressure of radicals. These radicals are vandalising temples. I thank the government of India for taking this matter very seriously. The United Nations should also take cognisance of the situation."
Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on Monday and presented before a Chittagong court on Tuesday, where his bail plea was rejected, and he was remanded to custody.
According to the Dhaka Tribune, Chinmoy Krishna Das appeared before Judge Kazi Shariful Islam of the Chittagong Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate's Court at 11 am on Tuesday. Despite a bail petition filed by his lawyers, it was denied, and he was sent to jail.
The priest faces charges of sedition for allegedly raising a flag on a stand bearing Bangladesh's national flag. However, according to a minority leader, the complainant has reportedly expressed reluctance to pursue the case.
The Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), the country's largest minority organisation, has expressed concern over the arrest and called for the immediate release of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
"We strongly condemn the arrest of Prabhu Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, from the Dhaka airport area on Monday afternoon," said Manindra Kumar Nath, Acting General Secretary of BHBCUC.
Speaking to ANI, Nath added, "This arrest will tarnish Bangladesh's international reputation regarding freedom of expression and human rights."
In a related incident, a lawyer was allegedly killed during clashes in Chittagong linked to the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
"Saiful Islam Alif, a lawyer, was killed in Chittagong," confirmed Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, President of the Chittagong Bar Association, in a phone conversation with ANI.
The motive for the killing remains unclear. "Saiful Islam Alif was brutally hacked to death," said Ashraf Hossain Razzak, General Secretary of the Chittagong Bar Association.
In response to the killing, the Chittagong Bar Association announced the suspension of court activities on Wednesday in protest.