The bail hearing for Chinmoy Das has been rescheduled to January 2

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a Hindu priest and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, will need to wait until January 2 for the next hearing to determine if he will be granted bail in a sedition case filed against him.

The bail plea, scheduled for Tuesday in the court of Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam, proceeded without legal representation for Chinmoy. After an initial discussion on the matter, the judge set January 2 as the new hearing date, according to Chattogram Metropolitan Police ADC (Prosecution) Mofizur Rahman. The court premises were under heavy security, with law enforcement officers from multiple agencies stationed in the area.

Chinmoy himself was not brought to the court for the hearing. Meanwhile, members of the Chattogram Bar Association, along with other lawyers, staged a protest march within the court premises earlier in the day.

Previously, on November 26, Chattogram's 6th Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Shariful Islam rejected Chinmoy's bail petition, ordering his transfer to jail. The ruling triggered protests from members of the Hindu community, who demonstrated around the prison van outside the court for over two hours. The protest was dispersed after police used stun grenades, taking Chinmoy into custody.

The demonstration caused damage to several motorcycles and vehicles on Court Road, while shards of broken glass were scattered across the second floor of the Court Mosque Complex, which houses lawyers' chambers. A clash also broke out between protesters and lawyers, during which lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was fatally injured on Rangam Convention Hall Road.

Chinmoy’s lawyers immediately filed a revision petition seeking another bail hearing, but no hearing occurred that day.

Chinmoy, the head of the ISKCON-run Pundarik Dham Temple in Chattogram, has been vocal since August 5 about attacks on minorities, advocating for eight specific demands. Following a public rally at Chattogram’s Laldighi Maidan on October 25, a sedition case was filed on October 30 against Chinmoy and 18 others at the Kotwali Police Station.

On November 25, Chinmoy was arrested at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport in connection with the sedition case. His arrest sparked protests in districts including Dhaka, Chattogram, Cumilla, Khulna, Dinajpur, and Cox’s Bazar, which continued late into the night. He was subsequently transported to Chattogram and placed in jail following a court appearance the next day.

In response to the November 26 protests, police filed three separate cases for violence, vandalism, and obstruction of police duties near the court premises. On Saturday, the family of slain lawyer Saiful filed a murder case against 31 individuals. Saiful’s brother, Khan Alam, lodged another case naming 116 people over the attacks and vandalism targeting lawyers. So far, 39 individuals have been arrested in relation to these cases.

The killing of lawyer Saiful prompted widespread outrage among lawyers, who boycotted court proceedings on Wednesday and Thursday, demanding justice. Following rallies on Thursday and Sunday, the Chattogram Bar Association called on its members to abstain from representing Chinmoy.

The association, predominantly led by BNP-affiliated lawyers, also urged authorities to implicate Chinmoy in other cases related to the violence. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote has alleged that 70 Hindu lawyers were unfairly named in the murder case filed by Saiful’s family to hinder Chinmoy’s bail hearing.

Nine individuals arrested in connection with Saiful’s murder have been brought to court, while eight others accused of attacking police near the Rangam Convention Hall have been remanded for interrogation.