EX-ISKCON LEADER’S BAIL: Tensions escalate in Ctg court premises, lawyer killed

NN Online:

A lawyer was hacked to death amid clashes between police and Hindu community people on a Chattogram court premises on Tuesday after the court rejected bail to former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case.

Kotwali Police Station Officer-In-Charge Fazlul Qader said, “Advocate Saiful Islam Alif was declared dead when he was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital around 3pm.”

Witnesses said 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, reports UNB.

The unrest began when thousands of his followers gathered on the court premises and obstructed the prison van carrying him, demanding his immediate release around 12pm.

After nearly three hours of deadlock, police lobbed teargas shells, fired sound grenades and charged batons to disperse the protesters, said witnesses.

Chinmoy, also spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, was produced before the Chattogram Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court earlier in the day.

The court sent Chinmoy to jail and fixed Wednesday morning for his bail hearing again.

Witnesses said hundreds of people gathered outside the court at noon to prevent the prison van from leaving.

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.