A lawyer representing Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das was reportedly killed during escalating protests outside Bangladesh’s Chattogram Court on Tuesday, as reported by Republic TV. The incident occurred amidst widespread unrest following the arrest of the Hindu leader.
The protests began when a large crowd, believed to be primarily Hindu supporters of Chinmoy Krishna Das, gathered outside the court demanding his release. The situation turned violent when police launched a crackdown, reportedly firing on the crowd. Saiful Islam Alif was killed during the chaos as supporters attempted to block a prison van transporting the leader to jail. Police resorted to using sound grenades to control the situation, leaving at least 7-8 protesters injured and hospitalized.
State-lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was killed today during protests at CTG court premises when supporters of former @iskcon monk Chinmoy Krishna Das blocked the prison van carrying him to jail. Meanwhile, police lob sound grenades to disperse them. 7-8 are hospitalized. #ISKCON pic.twitter.com/Rm295FuBye
— Mehedi Hasan Marof (@MehediMarof) November 26, 2024
Footage circulating on social media captured the intense clashes between the police and supporters of the arrested ISKCON monk. The violence erupted after the court denied bail to Chinmoy Krishna Das. In the videos, police personnel can be seen using force to disperse the protesters.
Bangladeshi media reported that the demonstrators obstructed the prison van carrying Chinmoy Krishna Das for nearly three hours, leading to a prolonged standoff. To disperse the crowd, the police employed teargas shells, sound grenades, and baton charges, eventually breaking the deadlock.
