A lawyer representing Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu monk arrested and accused of sedition in Bangladesh, has been brutally attacked, according to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The incident occurred as a court in Bangladesh was set to hear the case on December 3.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Radharaman Das, ISKCON's spokesperson, shared distressing details about the attack. "Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life," he said.
However, several lawyers in Bangladesh have denied any such incident took place.
This attack follows a similar claim last month, when reports surfaced on social media and in some news outlets that a lawyer defending Chinmoy Krishna Das had been killed. Investigations later revealed that the lawyer, Saiful Islam, was an assistant public prosecutor and not involved in defending the accused priest.
Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a prominent former leader of ISKCON in Bangladesh, was arrested in Dhaka last month after protests by the Hindu community in Rangpur. The protests were sparked by demands for stronger legal protections for minority groups. He has since been accused of sedition and was denied bail by a Dhaka court on Tuesday.
The political climate in Bangladesh has been tense, with widespread violence and protests over the treatment of minorities following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Radharaman Das had previously reported on X that two of Chinmoy Krishna Das’s disciples went missing in Chattogram after the arrest of another Hindu monk, Shyam Das Prabhu.
India has condemned the arrest and called on Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minority groups in the country. The arrest has sparked strong criticism from Indian religious leaders and civil society members, with protests held in West Bengal and several other states bordering Bangladesh.
In Tripura, the backlash has taken the form of a boycott, with hotels and restaurants announcing they will not accept bookings from tourists from Bangladesh, according to the top association of the state’s travel sector.
Earlier today, over 50 protesters reportedly entered the premises of the Bangladeshi mission in Tripura’s capital, Agartala, causing panic among officials and staff. India has described the incident as "deeply regrettable."