By HRCBM News Desk
🔗 Editor’s Note: This article is a follow-up to our earlier report on the detention of Chinmoy Krishna Brahmachari and the violent crackdown on peaceful protests. You can read the initial report here:
Prominent Hindu Monk Detained, Violence Erupts Against Peaceful Protesters in Bangladesh .
Chittagong, Bangladesh – April 2025 — The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) strongly condemns the continued detention of Chinmoy Krishna Brahmachari, widely known as Chinmoy Prabhu, a revered Hindu monk and minority rights advocate. He remains in custody without bail despite an appeal at the High Court, facing sedition charges that are entirely baseless and legally defective.
This case is a clear example of state complicity and misuse of legal instruments to suppress minority voices. It also illustrates the growing intolerance toward spiritual leaders who advocate for human dignity, constitutional equality, and religious freedom in Bangladesh.
Filing of Sedition Charge is Legally Invalid
The sedition case against Chinmoy Prabhu was filed by Feroze Khan, a local leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). According to Bangladesh law, sedition cases must be filed by the state, not individuals. The acceptance of this charge without scrutiny raises serious concerns about judicial independence and politically motivated legal manipulation.
False Allegation Regarding the Flag Incident
The basis of the sedition charge lies in the allegation that Chinmoy Prabhu directed his followers to hoist a saffron flag above the national flag of Bangladesh. However, video evidence contradicts this claim. The flag alleged to be Bangladesh’s was in fact a look-alike bearing four crescents in the corners—a deliberate modification. The actual Bangladesh national flag contains no such crescents, and this altered version appears to have been vandalized to reflect an Islamic identity.
Furthermore, the saffron flag was not raised above the national flag, but rather on an adjacent pole that was taller in height. From certain angles, it appears higher, but this is a visual distortion, not a deliberate insult.
Spontaneous Devotion Is Not Sedition
Out of the thousands of devotees who attended the peaceful spiritual gathering, a few emotionally raised saffron flags, which in Hindu tradition symbolizes devotion, peace, and renunciation. To hold Chinmoy Prabhu responsible for this symbolic act, which was not directed by him, is a gross miscarriage of justice.
Repression Following His Arrest
Following his arrest, a coordinated crackdown was launched by joint forces in Hajari Gali, a Hindu-majority neighborhood in Chittagong. Homes were raided, families were attacked, and the area was sealed off—sending a chilling message to minorities not to dissent. This was not law enforcement—it was collective punishment aimed at teaching the Hindu community a brutal lesson.
Obstruction of Legal Aid
Right-wing Islamist lawyers associated with the Chittagong Bar Association blocked efforts to provide Chinmoy Prabhu with legal representation. HRCBM, through its legal network, submitted formal requests for legal aid—which were also denied. The Chittagong Metropolitan Judge Court appeared unable or unwilling to contain these hostile legal actors, further exposing the compromised legal environment surrounding this case.
The case was eventually moved to the High Court, yet bail was not granted. Instead, the court has sought comments from the government, allowing his continued detention without due process.
HRCBM’s Position and Appeal
HRCBM reiterates that this entire case is built on:
A false pretext of sedition
Fabricated visual evidence
Illegitimate legal procedures
And a systematic attempt to silence a respected spiritual leader
We demand:
Immediate release of Chinmoy Krishna Brahmachari and withdrawal of false charges.
Protection of legal rights and equal access to counsel.
An independent investigation into the police crackdown in Hajari Gali.
International monitoring of sedition law misuse against minorities in Bangladesh.
This case is not only about one man—it is a chilling precedent of how state and non-state actors collude to criminalize minority identity, speech, and peaceful expression.
HRCBM remains steadfast in its pursuit of justice and calls upon the global human rights community to stand in solidarity with the persecuted Hindu minority in Bangladesh.
