Chattogram, May 5, 2025 — Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, granted bail in a sedition case after five months in detention, remains behind bars following his immediate re-arrest in a murder case. A Chattogram court source confirmed that just as Das was set to walk free on Monday, authorities detained him again, linking him to the November 26, 2024, killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. “The re-arrest was executed before his release process could be completed,” said Asraf Hussen Razzak, president of the Chattogram Court Bar Association, in a phone call with ANI.

The murder charge stems from violent protests that erupted after Das’s initial arrest on November 25, 2024, at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag. Authorities claim a mob, armed with sharp weapons and demanding Das’s release, attacked Alif outside the Chattogram Court, leading to his death. Das, a former ISKCON leader and spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, has been named a prime accused in the case, alongside over 160 identified and 400-500 unidentified individuals, per a Dhaka Tribune report.

Das secured bail on Saturday from Bangladesh’s High Court in the sedition case, with a two-judge bench issuing the order. However, a three-day public holiday delayed his release, and the new murder charge has now halted it entirely. The re-arrest has sparked fresh tensions, with India’s Ministry of External Affairs previously expressing concern over Das’s detention amid widespread attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. As the case unfolds, advocates fear it may further strain India-Bangladesh relations.