Five Hours Out Of Jail, A Son’s Final Goodbye: Chinmoy Das Attends Mother’s Funeral In Bangladesh
Chattogram: Hindu monk and minority rights campaigner Chinmoy Krishna Das was given just five hours outside prison this week to attend his mother’s funeral, after she died without getting to see her son during her final days.
Das, who has been in custody since November 2024, was allowed to leave jail following an order from Chattogram District Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia. His mother, 71 year old Sandhya Rani Dhar, died in Hathazari. Her last rites were performed at Pundarik Dham.
The brief release came after the family had sought permission for Das to visit his ailing mother while she was still alive. The request was reportedly rejected after authorities said there was no provision for granting parole to a prisoner to visit a sick relative. By the time permission was granted, Dhar had died.
The episode drew attention after footage emerged showing an emotional Das during his short time outside custody. At Pundarik Dham temple in Chattogram, he was seen in tears and touching the feet of a Radha-Krishna idol before returning to prison. His brother Ranjan Kumar Dhar confirmed that the funeral rites were held at the temple.
Das’s detention dates back to November 25, 2024, when he was arrested at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on sedition allegations. The case followed accusations that a saffron flag had been placed above Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally in Chattogram. His arrest triggered protests and heightened tensions surrounding the treatment of the country’s Hindu minority.
The monk, a former ISKCON associate and spokesperson for the Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, has been associated with rallies calling for greater protection and security for religious minorities in Bangladesh.
Das is facing six criminal cases. He has secured bail in four, but remains behind bars because proceedings in other cases have prevented his release. His bail in the sedition case remains stayed, while a murder trial is underway before the Chattogram Speedy Trial Tribunal.
The murder case relates to the November 2024 killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif during violence surrounding protests over Das’s arrest. Das’s detention and the cases against him remain a politically and communally sensitive issue in Bangladesh.
For Das, however, the latest chapter was deeply personal five hours of freedom came only after the final chance to see his mother alive had already passed.
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