Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Apurba Bhattacharya and 10 others had appeared before the court to represent the monk.

The bail request was turned down by Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam after about 30 minutes of hearing both parties’ arguments, according to Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Advocate Mofizur Haque Bhuiyan.

Rabindra Ghosh, the lawyer who is representing Das in Bangladesh and who was admitted to the cardiology department in SSKM Hospital on Tuesday evening before the hearing, told The Indian Express, “We will move a higher court.”

 After hearing the news, Kolkata ISKCON VP Radha Raman Das told mediapersons, “It’s very sad news. Everyone was expecting Chinmoy Prabhu will get freedom in the new year — but even after 42 days, his bail was rejected in a hearing today. The Bangladesh government should ensure that he gets justice. We had some hope… we also have heard that his health is not good.”

Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested on November 25 in Bangladesh on charges of sedition. He was produced in court the next day, which sent him to jail custody. Protests had erupted in India and Bangladesh following his arrest.