20 lawyers from Dhaka and Chittagong to argue for monk’s bail tomorrow
Times of India | 31 December 2024
Kolkata: A group of 20 lawyers from Dhaka and Chittagong will be at Chittagong court on Jan 2 to argue for bail for arrested monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who has been in prison since his arrest on sedition charges since Nov 25.
Rabindra Ghosh, the human rights advocate who had earlier gone to court, had not been allowed to move an advance bail petition. Ghosh, now in Bengal for treatment at AIIMS Kalyani, is in touch with his juniors and is guiding the bail plea arguments.New Year SpecialUnbelievable! 2025's most powerful zodiac predictions are hereHappy New Year 2025: Wishes, Facebook & WhatsApp statusNumerology 1-9: What the numbers hold for us next yearThe lawyer said he was advising his team not only about courtroom arguments but also about potential problems outside it.
"At least 30 lawyers from Chittagong court who backed Das were later charged under some non-bailable sections of Bangladesh CRPC. The Chittagong Bar Association has disallowed lawyers to stand on behalf of Das. So, other means are being explored on how to appear on Jan 2 to secure justice for the monk," said a Chittagong court advocate.
Ghosh said: "On Dec 12, I was heckled by a section of lawyers at Chittagong court. I escaped getting hurt only due to police protection. If the same chain of events is repeated, it will be unfortunate and a slur on our country's constitution. If govt has the goodwill to protect the rights of minorities, how can a few fundamentalists challenge that?"
"Arguments in defence of Das will be around the very basics of sedition law and laws on the national flag code of Bangladesh. The flag in question (which Das is accused of disrespecting) was hoisted in Chittagong New Market since the days of the students' movement in Aug. It bore symbols like stars and moon. Das was at a conference at the time of the alleged offence," said a lawyer in Bangladesh.
Monks and devotees at the Iskcon temple in Kolkata attended a prayer meet on Tuesday. "I pray for the immediate release of the arrested monks and the safety of the oppressed minorities in Bangladesh. Govt should ensure peace for all," said Radharamn Das, vice-president and spokesperson of Iskcon Kolkata.
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