The police detained 27 people till Wednesday evening amid protests in Dhaka as elsewhere over the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in Chattogram city and clashes with the law enforcers over the arrest of a Hindu organisation鈥檚 leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari.
Of the detainees, six are leaders and activists of Awami League, its youth front Bangladesh Awami Juba League and banned student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The Chattogram Metropolitan Police also detained seven people analysing the video footage but did not reveal their identities.听听听
Saiful Islam Alif, a Chattogram court assistant public prosecutor, was stabbed indiscriminately on his head and neck during the clash between law enforcement agencies and followers of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a former leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, widely known as ISKCON.听
鈥榃e have identified seven individuals involved in the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif through analysing video footage. A case is under process. If the murder case is filed, identities of the detained individuals will be revealed,鈥� Chattogram Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner for Media Kazi Md Tarek Aziz said.
The Chattogram District Bar Association announced the suspension of all court activities today, for the second consecutive day, said a press release signed by association president Mohammad Nazim Uddin Chowdhury and general Secretary Ashraf Hossain Chowdhury Razzak on the day.
The lawyer鈥檚 murder spread the protests to many places, including in Dhaka city, Chattogram and Munshiganj, while the Student Movement Against Discrimination, platform that led the student-mass uprising toppling the Awami League government on August 5, demanded a ban on ISKCON.
The Hindu community, meanwhile on the day, continued demanding the release of Chinmoy, the spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, a platform of the Hindu community.听
Sanatan Ekata Mancha, another platform of the Hindus, held a press conference on the day, protesting at the arrest of Hindu leaders.
Chinmoy was arrested from the capital鈥檚 Hazarat Shahjalal International Airport area on Monday afternoon and was sent to Chattogram jail on Tuesday in a sedition case filed by a Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader in Chattogram, Firoz Khan, with the Kotowali police on October 30.听
Addressing the gathering after Saiful鈥檚 namaz-e-janaza in the port city, Student Movement Against Discrimination convener Hasnat Abdullah demanded a ban on ISKCON as a 鈥榯errorist organisation鈥�
鈥榃e also demand the arrest of those responsible for Saiful鈥檚 murder within 24 hours,鈥� Hasnat added.
Saiful was buried following his fourth namaz-e-janaza at Lohagora upazila in Chattogram district.听听
On Wednesday evening, the police filed three cases with the Kotwali police in Chattogram city following clashes that broke out while they were taking Chinmoy Krishna Das to jail, said Chattogram Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner for media Kazi Md Tarek Aziz.
鈥楥ases were filed over the allegations of creating obstructions to government duty and attacking law enforcement agency members,鈥� said Tarek.
The three cases were filed against 76 named and 1,400 unnamed people.
CMP official Tarek said that the victim lawyer鈥檚 family was yet to approach the police station for filing a murder case.
In Dhaka city on the day, students, lawyers and political organisations staged demonstrations, condemning the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam. They demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the all those involved in the killing.
They also slammed the Indian media for spreading communal propaganda over sending Chinmoy to jail in a sedition case.
They also demanded the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus to ban ISKCON for provoking communal hatred.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council in a statement, signed by its acting general secretary Manindra Kumar Nath, demanded immediate arrest of those involved in Saiful鈥檚 killing.听
Student Movement Against Discrimination also held a protest demonstration at the Central Shaheed Minar demanding justice for Saiful.
The platform鈥檚 spokesperson Umama Fatema said that the ousted Awami League and Narendra Modi-led Indian government was conspiring to destabilise Bangladesh, urging students and people to remain united.
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鈥楾he killers of Saiful and all the persons behind the conspiracy must be brought under justice immediately,鈥� said Nusrat, another coordinator of the platform.
Jatiya Nagarik Committee held a protest rally in front of the Supreme Court Bar Association in the capital.
鈥楨veryone as citizens of the state is entitled to their rights regardless of ethnicity, religion and caste. We will remain vigilant in resisting any form of extremism,鈥� said lawyer Manzur Al Matin, a member of Jatiya Nagarik Committee.
Lawyers under the banner of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum also held a separate protest rally in the court area, demanding exemplary punishment for Alif鈥檚 killer.
Left Democratic Alliance and Anti-fascism Left Alliance also held a rally in front of the National Press Club, while students of Jagannath University organised a rally and a march on the campus area protesting against the killing.
Students of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University in Gazipur also held a rally and a march on the campus, demanding justice for Saiful and ban on ISKCON.
In Rajshahi, lawyers formed a human chain in front of Rajshahi Advocate Bar Association on Wednesday, protesting against the killing.
Abul Kashem, president of Rajshahi Advocate Bar Association, said, 鈥楾here is no way to underestimate this phenomenon. A vested quarter is inciting Hindu community people to destabilise the country,鈥� he said.
In Munshiganj, lawyers under the banner of Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Ainjibi Forum held rally and a march demanding justice for Saiful and warned ISKCON for their activities, reported 抖阴精品 Correspondent in Munshiganj.
BNP-affiliated lawyers and students also held protest processions and rallies in Barishal against Saiful鈥檚 murder and also demanded a ban on ISKCON, 抖阴精品 correspondent in Barishal reported.
On Wednesday evening, meanwhile, at about 7:00pm, a car carrying Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah, leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement,听was hit by a truck at Lohagara on the Chattogram-Cox鈥檚 Bazar highway while they were returning after attending the burial of Saiful Islam.
Both remained unhurt, but the vehicle was damaged, said witnesses.
