A Chattogram court yesterday rejected the anticipatory bail appeal filed for ex-ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in a sedition case filed in connection with disrespecting the national flag of Bangladesh.

Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Saiful Islam rejected the application after a lawyer from Dhaka placed the application, saying that the lawyer did not have a Vakalatnama to represent Chinmoy in court.

A Vakalatnama is a document that authorises a lawyer to act on behalf of his/her client.

On October 31, a BNP leader filed a case with Kotwali Police Station, accusing Chinmoy and 18 others of disrespecting the national flag in Chattogram's New Market area during a rally of the Hindu community on October 25. The BNP leader was later expelled from the party for breaching rules and regulations.

Chinmoy was arrested in Dhaka on November 25 and sent to jail the following day. Rajesh Chowdhury and Hridoy Das have also been arrested in the case.

The bail hearing for Rajesh and Hriday was scheduled yesterday.

Rabindra Gosh, a senior high court lawyer, placed multiple applications to the metropolitan session judge court, saying his client was arrested in a false and fabricated case. He also cited Chinmoy's health issues, saying his client was a priest and was suffering from diabetes, asthma and other issues.

Chinmoy's lawyer Advocate Shuvashish Sharma did not attend Chinmoy's bail hearing on December 3 due to security reasons, Rabindra told The Daily Star, adding that he had applied for permission to conduct a hearing for Chinmoy, advancing the date for the bail hearing, and requested permission to submit documents related to the case.

"Despite having no Vakalatnama, I can handle any case in any court across the country as I am a High Court lawyer, as per the Supreme Court's directive," he mentioned, adding that other lawyers at the court "misbehaved" with him.

According to court sources, hundreds of lawyers gathered in the courtroom during the hearing, which caused chaos. The judge rejected the bail plea amid the mayhem and left the court.

Rabindra, however, admitted that he did not go to the prison to obtain the document, adding, "I will visit Chinmoy in the prison now and obtain the Vakalatnama."

Public Prosecutor Advocate Mafizul Hoque Bhuiyan told The Daily Star that the application was denied as he failed to show the necessary documents and Chinmoy's lawyer Shuvashish was also absent during hearing.

The court set January 3 for bail hearing of Rajesh and Hridoy as there was no lawyer representing them, he added.

This correspondent failed to reach Advocate Shuvashish Sharma.

Meanwhile, Bar president Advocate Nazim Uddin Chowdhury earlier said, "As president, I have no information that someone was assaulted or interrupted so far. It's true that some lawyers were made accused in a case but I have seen several lawyers who are accused in the case doing their regular tasks in the court."