A Bangladesh court has ordered the commencement of trial against Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson of the Sanatani Jagaran Jote, and 39 other accused in connection with the alleged hacking to death of lawyer Saiful Islam in Chattogram. Das, a former ISKCON leader, and his co-accused face charges in a case that has attracted attention from human rights groups and legal experts due to its broader political and social implications.

 

Rights organisations and civil society voices have expressed concern that the prosecution reflects a pattern of bias against religious minorities and the criminalisation of community leaders in politically sensitive situations.

 

Chinmoy Krishna Das was earlier arrested on sedition charges in November 2024 at Dhaka airport and has remained in custody since then. His arrest followed a period of heightened tension after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year, during which multiple incidents of violence and vandalism against minority communities were reported.