Chattogram: Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who has been in prison for nearly two years now, was denied parole to meet his mother for the last time before she passed away on Thursday.
Later, he was allowed out for five hours to attend her last rites.
An emotional video has now gone viral of the monk breaking down in tears at the feet of a Radha Krishna idol at the place where his mother Sandhya Rani Dhar (71) was cremated.
According to local media reports, Sandhya Rani had wished to see her son for one last time before her death. Unfortunately, the family’s pleas fell on deaf ears and Das remained in jail even as she passed away.
Following her death, Chattogram district deputy commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia ordered the Hindu leader’s release for five hours so he could attend her last rites, The Daily Star reported.
The video shows Das in tears at the Pundarik Dham temple in Chattogram before being taken back to prison. His brother, Ranjan Kumar Dhar, confirmed that Sandhya Rani’s last last rites were performed at Pundarik Dham.
Das, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, was arrested in November 2024 in connection with sedition charges over allegations that he had disrespected the national flag. His arrest triggered protests and communal tensions.
Following the uprising in Bangladesh in 2024 that led to the ouster of prime minister Sk Hasina, the Hindu group had organised several rallies across the country, seeking minority rights, safety and protection from civil unrest.
Das, who was with ISKCON previously, is facing six criminal cases. The high court has granted him bail in four of them so far. However, he continues to remain in jail despite securing bail in two cases, as two other cases have prevented his release, according to local media reports.
The monk is unlikely to be released soon as his bail in the sedition case remains stayed. Proceedings against him in a murder case are underway before the Chattogram Speedy Trial Tribunal.
This relates to the killing of government prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif, who was hacked to death in Chattogram by activists protesting against Das’s arrest, as reported by News18.
According to the family, Sandhya Rani died at a hospital in Hathazari on Thursday, carrying her final wish of seeing her son unfulfilled.
“My mother is gone. My brother could not even see his mother while she was alive,” Das’s second brother said.
On Wednesday, the monk’s family submitted a request for conditional parole to allow him to visit his ailing mother. The application was submitted to Miah.
The administration informed the family that there was no provision to grant parole to a prisoner for visiting a sick relative, Bangladeshi daily Samakal reported.