Kolkata, Dec 3 (PTI) International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kolkata on Tuesday appealed to the Bangladesh government to ensure the safety of lawyers willing to represent Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in an ongoing case, following a brutal attack on his advocate.
ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das on Monday claimed that Ramen Roy, who was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das, was attacked by a group of Islamists at his home in Bangladesh.
A Bangladesh court on Tuesday deferred to next month a hearing on the bail petition of the Hindu monk, arrested on a sedition charge, as no lawyer appeared on his behalf.
Das criticised the Bangladesh government over "no lawyer appearing as defence counsel" for the Hindu monk and said it is against the premise of basic human rights.
"It is really frustrating to see that there was no defence lawyer. Is this justice? Is this how you provide free and fair justice? We would urge the Bangladesh government to look into the matter," Das said.
According to Das, no new lawyer has come forward to represent Chinmoy Krishna Das following the attack on Roy, citing safety concerns.
"No new lawyer has come up to fight his case till now. Those who want are afraid that they might face the same consequences as Roy. We would request the Bangladesh government to provide lawyers who are willing take up the case with adequate safety and security," he said.
"It must be ensured that such targeted attacks are dealt with sternly. The situation is deeply alarming and highlights the hostile environment faced by those supporting justice for minorities in Bangladesh," he added.
In a post this evening, Das claimed another lawyer Regan Acharya, who had represented Das on the first day, too has been attacked.
"The day when Chinmay Krishna Prabhu was first arrested and produced in court one of his lawyers was Regan Acharya. After the hearing his chamber was vandalised and he was attacked brutally. In this video his name on the signboard of his chamber is visible in Bengali. How can anyone lawyer appear for #ChinmoyKrishnaDas when they are being targeted? As per report & video received from Bangladesh #SaveBangladeshiHindus ," he posted on X.
According to Radharamn Das, Roy's only "fault" was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das in court, and a group of Islamists ransacked his home.
The attack left Roy critically injured, and he is currently in the ICU, fighting for his life, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson claimed.
"Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Das in court. Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life.
#SaveBangladeshiHindus #FreeChinmoyKrishnaPrabhu," he posted on X along with a picture of Roy in ICU on Monday night.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, who served as a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday while en route to Chattogram to attend a rally.
He was denied bail and sent to jail on Tuesday by a court in the neighbouring country.
Historically, Hindus made up approximately 22 per cent of Bangladesh's population during the 1971 Liberation War.
The Hindu population, once a substantial demographic in Bangladesh, has experienced a significant decline in recent decades, with the minority community now comprising only around 8 per cent of the country's total population.
This drop is largely attributed to a combination of socio-political marginalisation, exodus and sporadic violence over the years.