New arrest order against Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das; Bangladesh court stays bail

In a major setback to Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das, Bangladeshi court on Tuesday ordered his arrest in four more cases while another court stayed his bail order in the sedition case .

The four cases involve obstruction of police duties at the Kotwali police station, as well as assaults on lawyers and justice seekers, according to assistant public prosecutor Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury.

Regarding the stay on bail order by Bangladesh Chamber court, additional attorney general Aneek R Haque said, "We told the Chamber court that if Chinmoy Krishna Das is released on bail, the investigation of the case will be hampered. There is a possibility that he will flee. The court has ordered to stay the bail."

Meanwhile, Das's lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee rejected the sedition charges and said, "We told the Chamber Court that there is no truth in the allegations of sedition brought against Chinmoy Krishna Das. The Chamber court has stayed the bail order, advising us to file a regular appeal."

Das was arrested after a controversy arose over a sedition case filed against him and 18 others in Chittagong on October 30 last year, following allegations that a saffron flag was hoisted above Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram on October 25. A Bangladeshi court had granted him bail in the case last week.

Soon after the bail order was issued, the state filed an application with the chamber court, requesting a stay of the decision.