Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has come out in support of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested in Bangaldesh and jailed on sedition charges. Hasina urged the Bangladesh government to release Das immediately,

Kolkata/Dhaka: The chief of Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari clarified Thursday that the arrested priest Chinmoy Krishna Das was expelled from ISKCON in September for disciplinary reasons.

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday backed the arrested Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das, saying he was "unjustly arrested" and must immediately be released. She asked the Bangladesh government to protect religious and ethnic minorities that have braved violence since her ouster from power in August.

Members of the Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch protested outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata against the persecution of Hindus and the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh.

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, an ISKCON priest and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested on November 25, 2024, by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's detective branch.

Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, the general secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, said the monk had been removed from all positions of the organisation.

Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu priest and minority rights advocate in Bangladesh, was arrested and denied bail on sedition charges. India's ministry of external affairs expressed concern, noting attacks on minorities protesting Das's arrest.

At least one person was killed in Bangladesh in clashes between security forces and Hindus protesting against the arrest of a religious leader, police said, even as neighbouring India urged that the safety of Hindus and minorities be ensured.

At least 10 people were injured in the fight between police, lawyers and followers of former ISKCON priest Chinmoy Das