No Lawyer In Bangladesh Willing To Defend Hindu Priest Due To Fear Of ‘Islamists’

Das claimed Ramen Roy was targeted solely for defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu Das in court. A group of alleged Islamists reportedly ransacked his home and left him critically injured.

Chinmoy Krishna Das is produced in Chattogram Court by Bangladesh police

ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das has alleged that advocate Ramen Roy, who defended Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu Das in a legal case, was violently attacked by ‘Islamists’ in Bangladesh. The attackers also reportedly vandalized Roy's residence. Roy is currently admitted in the hospital and is struggling for life. 

Meanwhile, Krishna Das, remains in jail after being charged with sedition, as no lawyer has come forward to represent him due to threats from Islamist groups. Following an initial hearing on the bail petition on Tuesday, the judge scheduled the next hearing for January 2, PTI quoted local media's report.

Das further alleged that Ramen Roy was targeted solely for defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu Das in court. A group of alleged Islamists reportedly ransacked his home and left him critically injured.  

“Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only 'fault' was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu 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. 

Zee news english could not independently verify the authenticity of the post. 

Das, who is the ISKCON Kolkata vice president told Bengali news channel, “This brutal attack on advocate Roy is a direct consequence of his legal defence of Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu. It reflects the growing danger faced by those who defend the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh,” reported PTI. 

Chinmoy Krishna, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested on Monday at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while traveling to Chattogram for a rally on charges of sedition. A court in Bangladesh denied him bail on Tuesday and remanded him to judicial custody. 

Bangladesh's Hindu population has shrunk from 22% during the 1971 Liberation War to around 8% today. Bangladesh's Hindu population, once a significant demographic, has witnessed a sharp decline in recent decades driven by socio-political marginalisation, violence, and exodus.

(With PTI inputs)