The arrest of Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jot spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das was discussed in the regular press briefing of the US State Department. US State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedanta Patel said the right of a person accused of a crime to have legal representation should be guaranteed. This news was reported on the website of the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At one stage of the briefing held on Tuesday (December 3) local time in the United States, the topic of alleged violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh came up.
Referring to a statement recently raised in the British Parliament on the Bangladesh issue, a journalist wants to know if the United States will take any diplomatic or policy initiative to ensure the safety of the minority Hindus in Bangladesh.
In response, Vedanta Patel said, “The US administration works with all governments on religious freedom and basic human rights.” He also mentioned that every protest should be peaceful and refrain from any form of repression.
The US official also said, 'The position of the United States towards human rights has been clear in the past and will be in the future.'
Then the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das came up in the briefing. The journalist claimed that Chinmoy Das, former organizer of ISKCON, was illegally arrested and kept in jail. Besides, raising allegations of threats and torture of his lawyers, he questioned whether the US administration would take any action in this regard.
In reply Vedanta Patel said that they do not have the specific information of this case. However, the US administration has always insisted on ensuring human rights and justice in every case.
It is to be noted that on November 25, Bangladesh Police Intelligence Branch (DB) arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case from Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. He was preparing to go to Chittagong.
