Chittagong: A Bangladeshi court on Thursday again denied bail to an outspoken Hindu monk who has been advocating for the protection of the minority following religious conflicts in the predominantly Muslim country.
Chinmoy Krishnadas was arrested in November for desecrating the Bangladeshi flag during a rally and faces sedition charges.
Security forces ringed a court in the southern port city of Chittagong, after violence erupted following a previous bail hearing – the monk’s followers were accused of killing a government lawyer.
His lawyer Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee said on Thursday that Das has denied the sedition charges.
But public prosecutor Rehan Al Wajid Chaudhary said he opposed bail because “there is much more to investigate”.
Both the prosecution and the defense said that the court had rejected the bail application.
The family of lawyer Saiful Islam Alf, who was killed in November, has filed two separate cases against people they say are connected to his death.
It includes 58 Hindu lawyers accused of vandalism and possession of explosives.
Religious relations have been strained in Bangladesh since a student-led revolution last year overthrew autocratic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.