Lawyer killed in clash over Chinmoy’s jail order
Hindus demand Chinmoy’s release, clash
with law enforcers
Home adviser suspects instigation by
parties at home and abroad
Amid growing tensions over the deteriorating law and order situation, 10 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in different places of the capital Dhaka and Chattogram city on Tuesday to avert any untoward incident.
A lawyer was hacked to death during clashes between police and Hindu community people on the premises of a Chattogram court on Tuesday after the court rejected bail to former leader of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case.
Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that vested interest groups at home and abroad, including banned political parties, might have instigated the unrest over the arrest of former ISKCON leader Chinmoy.
“There might have been instigations from both home and abroad. Some parties have been banned. They might have involved in the instigation,” he told reporters in reply to a question during a press briefing in Sylhet over the recent unrest.
He also said certain quarters are trying to destabilise the country with an evil motive.
Incidents of fierce clashes, hooliganism and vandalism, are taking place almost every day in recent times in the capital, spreading panic among city residents.
Students from various colleges are staging protests in the capital city to push for their demands. During the demonstrations, they often block roads, hampering traffic.
BGB’s Public Relations Officer Shariful Islam said four BGB platoons have been deployed in the capital’s Shahbagh, Matsya Bhaban, and Hotel InterContinental areas to ward off any untoward incident.
Besides, six BGB platoons have been deployed in different areas of the port city of Chattogram to maintain law and order, he added.
An organisation called Ohingsho Gono Obhutthan Bangladesh (Nonviolent Mass Uprising Bangladesh) on Monday attempted to gather a large number of people at Shahbagh in the capital in a bid to create chaos.
On Monday, a series of clashes took place among the students of three colleges, Kabi Nazrul College, Shaheed Suhrawardy College and Dr Mahbubur Rahman Molla College, in the capital’s Demra. At least 35 people, including students, were injured in the clashes.
Advocate Saiful Islam Alif was hacked to death during clashes between police and Hindu community people on a Chattogram court premises on Tuesday.
Chattogram Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Fazlul Qader said Saiful Islam Alif was declared dead when he was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) around 3:00pm.
Witnesses said some unidentified people took him to nearby Jangal Cinema Lane on the ground floor of the court, beat him up and then hacked him to death.
Twenty-six people were injured as Hindu protesters went on the rampage on the court premises and nearby places. Six were undergoing treatment at CMCH while 19 others were admitted to the Chattogram General Hospital.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chinmoy, also spokesperson for Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, was produced before the Chattogram Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Shariful Islam denied Chinmoy’s bail and sent him to jail in a sedition case filed over his alleged disrespect of the national flag.
Immediately after the jail order, thousands of Chinmoy’s supporters took to the streets and tried to prevent a prison van from taking him to jail around 12:00 pm, demanding his immediate release.
Due to the protest, the prison van could not move out of the court premises even after three hours.
After nearly three hours of deadlock, police lobbed teargas shells, fired sound grenades and charged batons to disperse the protesters, said witnesses.
The protesters went berserk in Laldighi and Kotwali areas vandalising vehicles and buildings, confirmed Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Fazlul Qader.
Locals said that the agitators also broke windows of the central mosque of the court, prompting mosque-goers to join police in chasing them out.
Fifteen cars including five of lawyers were also vandalised during the incident.
Chinmoy Krishna was arrested in Dhaka airport area on Monday evening by the Detective Branch (DB) police in connection with a sedition case filed at Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram.
The case was filed by local BNP leader Firoz Khan who was later expelled from the party.
About the current situation, Home Adviser said the country’s law and order have significantly improved compared to the past few months. However, concerns remain as all the looted weapons are yet to be recovered. He also instructed the authorities not to harass individuals with false cases.
Regarding student protests, he said discussions are ongoing with teachers, students, and parents. He expressed the hope that the situation will come to normalcy soon.
