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Iskcon India has claimed that a Bangladeshi lawyer defending arrested Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, was “brutally attacked at his home by Islamists” and is currently in the Intensive Care Unit, fighting for his life.
The incident comes amid violence in Bangladesh in the wake of the monk’s arrest on sedition charges. In a tweet on Monday night, Radharamn Das, Vice President and spokesperson of Iskcon India, said, “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.”
Radharamn Das also told a local Bengali news channel that the attack on Roy was a “direct consequence” of defending Chinmoy Das, an expelled Iskcon monk, in court, reports news agency PTI.
The incident “reflects the growing danger faced by those who defend the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh”, he was quoted as saying.
Chinmoy Das, who was arrested on November 25 from the Dhaka airport, has been charged in a sedition case for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally in October. Following his expulsion from Iskcon, the monk was serving as a spokesperson for the Bangaldesh Sanmilito Sanatani Jagoron Jot — a newly formed umbrella body spearheading the fight to secure rights for Bangladeshi Hindus.
His arrest sparked widespread protests in Dhaka and Chittagong, where his supporters clashed with security forces. A Muslim lawyer was killed amid protests outside a court in Chittagong and the police have arrested at least 33 people in connection to the violence.
Anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh first erupted after a students’ agitation over a controversial quota system turned into a massive anti-government protest, resulting in the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Since then, the minority community, which constitutes only about 8 per cent of Bangladesh’s 170 million population, has faced over 200 attacks.