Out Of Jail For 5 Hours, Bangladesh Hindu Monk, In Tears, Touches Idol's Feet

Dhaka: Chinmoy Krishna Das, the Bangladeshi Hindu monk who had been in jail for nearly two years, was granted five-hour parole this week to attend his mother's funeral. Das's 71-year-old mother died with her final wish of seeing her jailed son left unfulfilled, after Bangladeshi authorities denied his family's plea for parole to visit her during her final days, local media reported.It was only after her death that Chattogram District Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia ordered the Hindu leader's release for five hours to attend her last rites, The Daily Star newspaper reported.An emotional video of the Hindu monk's few hours outside captivity appeared on social media. In the clip, Das is seen crying as he touches the feet of a Radha-Krishna idol in the Pundarik Dham temple of Chattragram before returning to jail. #BangladeshSri Chinmay Krishna Das Prabhu touched the feet of Radha-Krishna in Pundarik Dham temple of #Chattragram before taken to jail.Sri Chinmay Krishna Das Prabhu was given only a few hours of parole to see his dead mother for the last time. pic.twitter.com/JcLKT8OF3F— Hindu Voice (@HinduVoice_in) September 10, 2026His mother Sandhya Rani Dhar's last rites were performed at Pundarik Dham, according to his brother Ranjan Kumar Dhar.Cases Against The Hindu MonkChinmoy Krishna Das, also the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, was arrested in November 2024 on sedition charges for allegedly disrespecting the national flag, which sparked protests and communal tensions. His group organised several rallies in Bangladesh, demanding minority rights, safety, and protection from civil unrest in 2024 after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following a violent student-led street protestDas, who was previously associated with ISKCON, is facing six criminal cases in total and has been granted bail by the High Court in four cases till now. He remains behind bars despite securing bail in two cases, with his release blocked by two other cases, local media reported.However, he will not be released soon because of the other cases against him. His bail in the sedition case remains stayed, while the trial in the murder case is underway at the Chattogram Speedy Trial Tribunal.The murder case concerns an incident in which a government prosecutor, Saiful Islam Alif, was hacked to death in the southeastern port city of Chattogram by activists protesting Das's arrest.The Last WishDas's family alleged that his mother died in a hospital in Hathazari on Thursday with her final wish of seeing her jailed son left unfulfilled. His other brother, Anjan Kumar Dhar, told Bangladeshi publication Kalbela that "My mother is gone. My brother could not even see his mother while she was alive."Citing sources, Kalbela reported that Sandhya Rani Dhar was left mentally shattered by her son's prolonged incarceration. Her distress was compounded by reports of his illness, repeated denial of bail, and his continued failure to secure release from jail.While she was hopeful about her son's release following the latest bail hearing, the denial of bail intensified her worries.On Wednesday, Das's family sought conditional parole for him to visit his ailing mother, submitting the request to Chittagong Deputy Commissioner and ex-officio President of the Prison Management Committee, Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah.However, the administration told the family that there is no provision for granting parole to a prisoner to visit a sick relative, Bangladeshi daily Samakal reported.