For five hours, Chinmoy Krishna Das was a free man. Then he went back to his cell. Das’s mother, 71 year old Sandhya Rani Dhar, had one wish in her final days. She wanted to see her son one last time. Her family asked authorities for parole so Das could visit her while she was critically ill in a hospital in Hathazari. The request was turned down. Officials said there was no legal provision to grant parole for visiting a sick relative.
Dhar died on September 10, 2026, without that wish being granted. Her son had spent nearly two years behind bars by then, and he never got the chance to sit by her side.
Five Hours To Say Goodbye
Once his mother had died, the calculation changed. Das’s brother submitted an application, and Chattogram District Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia approved five hours of parole so Das could attend the funeral. “Following an application by his brother over the death of his mother, we have passed an order to release Chinmoy Krishna from jail on parole for five hours in accordance with the law,” Islam Mia said.
Under heavy security, Das traveled to Hathazari to attend the last rites, held at Pundarik Dham temple in Chattogram. Video from the visit showed him breaking down in tears, touching the feet of a Radha-Krishna idol before he was taken back to jail. He returned to custody within the five hours he was given.
Who Chinmoy Krishna Das Is
Das, also known by his birth name Chandan Kumar Dhar, is a Hindu monk and former ISKCON priest. He became a prominent voice for Bangladesh’s Hindu minority as spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote, a group advocating for minority rights in the country.
He was arrested at Dhaka’s international airport on November 25, 2024, in connection with a sedition case filed weeks earlier. The case accused Das and eighteen others of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag, after a saffron flag was reportedly placed above it during a rally. He appeared in a Chattogram court the following day, where his bail plea was rejected, and he has remained in custody since.
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A Case That Drew International Attention
His detention has not gone unnoticed outside Bangladesh. India has previously expressed deep concern over his arrest, calling on Bangladeshi authorities to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities in the country. Bangladesh’s High Court granted him bail in one case months after his arrest, but he has remained behind bars as other legal proceedings continued.
A Brief Window, Then Back To A Cell
For Das, the five hours offered a narrow, painful kind of closure. He got to bury his mother. He never got to hold her hand while she was still alive. As he was led back into custody, the case that has kept him there for nearly two years remains unresolved, watched closely by minority rights advocates in Bangladesh and observers abroad.
