The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa has requested the Bar Council of India to involve the ‘Commonwealth Lawyers Association’ and the ‘Bar Council of Bangladesh’ to get legal aid for victims of the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, including advocate Ramen Roy, the legal representative of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was brutally assaulted and is currently in an ICU.
Advocate Parijat Pande, member of the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, in a letter to the Chairman Bar Council of India, New Delhi, said that Roy is battling for his life in a hospital. “The bail matter of the ISKCON devotee like Sri Chinmoy Das was adjourned to 2 January 2025 for want of legal assistance. It seems that minorities in Bangladesh are facing significant challenges in accessing justice and protecting their legal rights. A few days ago, 70 Hindu lawyers in Chittagong were jailed for false cases bringing rule of law to an utter standstill,” said Pande.
Pande said that the Bar Council of India, with its rich history and experience in promoting the rule of law and protecting human rights, can play a vital role in this extraordinary situation in Bangladesh by requesting the local Bar Council and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association for providing legal aid to the Hindu minorities and ISKCON devotees.
This could make a significant difference in the lives of minorities, said Pande who added that the Chairman of the Bar Council of India can speak to the Chairman of the Bangladesh Bar Council, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust to explore the possibility of providing legal aid to Bangladesh’s minorities.
