The scenes outside the Chattogram court in Bangladesh, where bail plea of former ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das was held—and the bail plea rejected on January 2—clearly seem to indicate that the takeover of Bangladesh by Islamic fundamentalists is near complete.

Das was arrested in a dramatic turn of events on November 25, 2024, from Dhaka Airport. He has been charged with sedition in a case filed against him on October 31.

According to Dhaka Tribune[1], at least 11 Supreme Court lawyers represented Das, and the hearing was held amid tight security. However, the footage emerging from the court premises presented a different picture.[2] Most of the people in the footage were wearing uniforms donned by lawyers and they were shouting slogans to the effect that ISKCON should be demolished, or broken. Of course, there did not appear to be any physical fracas, but the protests and chaos—about which the Dhaka Tribune mentions in the headline, but remains silent in the detailed report—indicate that the lawyers, who represented Das, were certainly not welcome.

In fact, Rabindra Ghosh, a septuagenarian, who decided to fight for Das, has been receiving death threats ever since he announced that he would take up Das’ case.[3] However, he has decided to put up a brave face. He could reportedly not attend the Thursday hearing after he suddenly had chest pain and required hospitalisation, but he ensured that an entire team of lawyers was present at the court, today.[4]

Already, the Attorney General of Bangladesh has gone on record to suggest that major reforms in Constitution were required—the most important, of course, being removing the term ‘Secular’.[5] The argument: The nation is 90 per cent Muslim.

It is this circularity of argument, which the Islamic fundamentalists use with aplomb. First, ensure that a place is rid of all the minorities—either through violence, policies, harassment of minorities, or all of these combined. Second, use the argument of brute Islamic majority to bat for a case for implementing Islamic law. India has had its own examples of this being done in smaller geographies like a village.[6]

It is common knowledge that Das was targeted because he was leading a fight-back, through peaceful means, by the Hindus in Bangladesh against the onslaught of the Islamic fundamentalists, ever since ouster of Sheikh Hasina government in August, 2024. The charges against him, mainly, are that he disrespected the Bangladeshi national flag during a rally in support of the Hindus. That the Islamic fundamentalists would like to change it, if and when Sharia becomes law in Bangladesh, the allegation against Das sounds more like an after-thought. In fact, after his first bail plea was rejected, there was chaos and violence outside the court, for which too the minority was blamed, as a lawyer had got killed in the ensuing melee. In the months that have followed, attacks on minorities have continued.

On the other hand, the interim government of Bangladesh—which, admittedly does not have the mandate to run the country in the absence of elections (or even an announcement for the same)—seems like a sheer mask hiding the more dangerous Islamic fundamentalist elements. Let alone taking any effective steps against the Islamic fundamentalists, it seems to have quietly acquiesced to their wishes.

It is high time government of India recalibrated approach and ensured that the Bangladeshi Hindus are safe. The actors in Bangladesh seem intent on upping the ante and adopt provoking postures to make India take a false move, so that they could unleash another round of violence on the already hapless minorities. It needs to be careful, yet firm while dealing with an increasingly lawless Bangladesh.

[1] https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/court/369760/court-rejects-bail-for-chinmoy-krishna-das-amid

[2] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_LHD3tjXfDQ

[3] https://www.deccanherald.com/world/will-continue-defending-hindu-monk-chinmoy-krishna-das-despite-receiving-death-threats-bangladesh-lawyer-3319677

[4] https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bangladesh-hindu-monk-chinmoy-krishna-das-lawyer-rabindranath-ghosh-kolkata-hospital-2658185-2025-01-01

[5] https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/bangladesh-top-official-calls-for-removing-secular-from-constitution-citing-90-muslim-population-101731553955315.html

[6] https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2022/Jul/11/schools-in-muslim-majority-areas-in-jharkhand-get-friday-holidays-2475293.html