Who Is Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, Hindu Leader Arrested In Bangladesh

The Hindu monk and spiritual leader has become the centre of significant controversy in Bangladesh following his arrest

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a former ISKCON priest and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested on November 25 by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s detective branch. The Hindu monk and spiritual leader was arrested on a sedition charge, which stems from his actions at a rally held in Chittagong in October. Accused of disrespecting the Bangladesh flag, the case was lodged under the country’s 1860 Penal Code.

1.  Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, known within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) community as Sri Chinmay Krishna Prabhu, is an influential religious leader in Bangladesh. As President of Pundarik Dham, he has long been a voice for those seeking religious freedom and minority protection. He previously held the position of divisional organising secretary for ISKCON in Chattogram. ISKCON Bangladesh said recently that he had been removed from all positions in the organisation months ago. 
2. He was born in May 1985 in Karianagar village, located in the Satkania Upazila of Chattogram. Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari gained recognition for his skills as a child orator within religious circles. His spiritual journey began at a young age, and by 1997, at just 12 years old, he took diksha (initiation) and joined ISKCON as a brahmachari.
3. Mr Das’s arrest came after a high-profile rally in Chittagong on October 25, 2024. The precise motive behind the charges against him remains unclear, but reports indicate that he faces accusations of disrespecting the Bangladeshi flag during a protest rally. Mr Das, along with 18 others, has been charged with sedition. Just days before his arrest, on November 22, he spoke at a rally in Rangpur, denouncing the acts of violence on the Hindu community. On November 26, a Bangladesh court denied Mr Das’s bail petition and ordered his detention.
4. A few months ago, Mr Das was relatively unknown. His rise to prominence began when violence erupted against the Hindu community in Bangladesh and their temples following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime in August. This turmoil brought the 39-year-old monk into the public eye as he emerged as a key figure advocating for the rights and safety of Hindus in the country. In just a few months, Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari has become one of the most prominent leaders of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
5. In response to Brahmachari’s arrest, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India expressed “deep concern” over the court’s decision to deny him bail. An MEA statement emphasised that the arrest occurred against the backdrop of widespread violence against Hindus and other minority communities in Bangladesh. The MEA pointed out that these attacks, including arson, looting of minority-owned properties, theft, vandalism, and desecration of temples and deities, have continued unchecked. It was noted that despite these attacks, religious leaders like Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, who advocate for peaceful change, are facing charges, while the perpetrators of violence remain unpunished.

What happened in the Chinmay Krishna case?:

From saint jailed in Bangladesh, protests to PM Modi-Jaishankar meeting
The issue of arrest of ISKCON saint Chinmay Krishna Das in Bangladesh is in discussion. Minorities in Bangladesh have come out on the streets in protest against the action against the Hindu saint. Now this issue has heated up in India as well. The Government of India is constantly monitoring this issue. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday November 28 , 2024 informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation in Bangladesh. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs had expressed concern over the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna.

Protests have also started in India against the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das. Reacting to this matter, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that the Government of India should raise this matter with Bangladesh.

Let us know through the timeline what is the case of Chinmoy Krishna Das’s arrest? When and why was he arrested? How did the Government of India react to the incident? Where and what protests are taking place in India? How is India keeping an eye on the situation in Bangladesh?

Ruckus over arrest of Hindu saint in Bangladesh

25 November

In Bangladesh, ISKCON saint Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was arrested on Monday (25 November) on charges of sedition. On Monday afternoon, Chinmay Krishna Brahmachari was arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area in Dhaka. Bangladeshi officials claim that Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested in a case registered against him on 30 October. In fact, on October 25, Chinmoy and 18 others were accused of hoisting a saffron flag over the national flag of Bangladesh at the New Market intersection in Chittagong. On the night of October 30, a case was registered against Chinmoy and 18 others under sedition at Kotwali police station.

Chinmoy Krishna Das, also known as Brahmachari Chandan Kumar Dhar, is the spokesperson of Sanatan Jagran Manch and leader of Chittagong ISKCON. According to ISKCON Chittagong, 37-year-old Chinmoy Krishna is from Satkania Upazila of Chittagong. He is known for his religious speeches. Chinmay Krishna Das came into the limelight after the change of power in Bangladesh in August this year. In fact, on August 5, 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country amid the ongoing violence in Bangladesh. With the change of power in the country, Hindu houses and temples were vandalized on a large scale. In response to this, Sanatan Jagran Manch was started and Chinmoy Das was appointed its spokesperson. Amidst the unrest in Bangladesh, the voice of Hindus is raised by this forum regarding the violence against Hindus. Chinmoy, who emerged as a prominent voice against the violence on minority Hindus of Bangladesh, was arrested on Monday on charges of sedition, which has now created a ruckus.

26 November

On Tuesday afternoon (26 November), a court rejected Chinmoy Krishna Das’ bail plea and ordered him to be sent to jail. On the other hand, protests also started in Bangladesh after the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu. Protests and rallies were held in different parts of the country on Tuesday afternoon and evening. People of the Hindu community took to the streets in many cities including the capital Dhaka, Chittagong, Feni, Faridpur, Jhalakathi, Chandpur, Jahangirnagar, Khulna, Barisal, Rajshahi.

On the afternoon of November 26, 2024 a clash broke out between law enforcement agencies, lawyers and followers of Bangladesh Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in Chittagong. Assistant Public Prosecutor Saifullah Islam died and six others were injured during the demonstration. The injured include Sribas Das, Sharku Das, Chotan, Sujit Ghosh, Utpal and Enamul Haque.

On Tuesday, the Indian government reacted for the first time to the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das. The Ministry of External Affairs expressed deep concern over the arrest and denial of bail to Chinmay Krishna. It said, ‘This incident comes after several attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh. We urge the Bangladesh authorities to ensure the safety of Hindus and all minorities, including their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.’

At the same time, late on November 26, 2024 the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh opposed the statement given by India and called it an ‘internal matter of Bangladesh’. The ministry said that this is their internal matter and India’s comment can sour the relations between the two countries.

November 27

Protests started in India too demanding the release of Hindu saint Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested in Bangladesh. The West Bengal unit of BJP protested outside the state assembly on Tuesday (November 26) and demanded the release of the Hindu saint. The next day i.e. on Wednesday (November 27), BJP MLAs gheraoed outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.

Apart from this, on Wednesday November 27 , 2024 itself, many parties including BJP, Congress, AAP, TMC expressed their opinion on this issue. The country’s main opposition Congress expressed deep concern over the ‘atmosphere of insecurity faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh’. The party said the arrest of the ISKCON saint is the latest example of this. The Congress said it hopes that the Government of India will put pressure on the Bangladesh government to take necessary steps and ensure the safety of life and property of minorities.

On Wednesday November 27 ,2024 Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal expressed solidarity with the Hindu saint and termed his arrest as ‘unjust’.. Kejriwal appealed to the central government to intervene in the matter. BJP MP and former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb also condemned the arrest of Chinmoy Das and criticized Bangladesh for being ‘undemocratic’. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also expressed concern over the arrest of the ISKCON saint and urged the Mohammad Yunus-led Bangladesh government to stop atrocities against Hindus.

The arrest of Hindu monk Prabhu Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh led to protests in India and Bangladesh as well as other countries. A group of Indians gathered in Helsinki, Finland and New York, USA in support of the Hindu religious leader and expressed their solidarity.

On November 27, 68 retired judges and officials and an MP appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh and the increasing violence and discrimination against Hindus there. These officials and judges demanded the Modi government to immediately intervene in the Bangladesh case and ensure the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das.

28 November

On Thursday, the Bangladesh government suffered a major setback when the Dhaka High Court refused to ban the activities of ISKCON. In a petition filed on Wednesday, High Court lawyer Mohammad Moniruddin had demanded a ban on ISKCON. However, the High Court refused to pass the order.

On the other hand, the issue of arrest of ISKCON saint Chinmoy Krishna Das is constantly in the news in India. On Thursday November 28 ,2024 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke on the Bangladesh issue in the Assembly and said that she is with the Center in this matter. CM Mamata said, ‘We do not want any religion to be hurt. I spoke to ISKCON. This is a matter of another country and the central government should take appropriate action against it. We are with the central government in this issue.’

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed the issue of attacks on religious minorities, including Hindus, in neighboring Bangladesh. During this, they also discussed the issues of arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari and damage to the temple in Chittagong district. After the meeting, Jaishankar can inform both the houses of Parliament on this issue on Friday November 29 , 2024 . .