Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu leader associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was arrested from Dhaka airport on Monday on several charges, including sedition.
His arrest sparked protests by his supporters in both the capital Dhaka and Chittagong city.
"A Muslim lawyer defending Das was killed amid protests outside the court (in Chittagong)," said police officer Liaquat Ali.
A probe has been ordered into the alleged killing, the caretaker government said in a statement, adding that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus had directed law enforcement agencies to step up security in the port city.
"The interim government is committed to ensuring and upholding communal harmony in Bangladesh at any cost," the government said.
Das faces sedition charges filed in October after leading a large rally in Chittagong, in which he was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag and was denied bail by a court in Chittagong on Tuesday.
'RAMPAGE'
When Das was being escorted back to prison from court, more than 2,000 supporters surrounded the van, blocking it for over two hours, Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasib Aziz, said.
"They went on a rampage, throwing bricks at us. To disperse the crowd, we had to fire tear gas. No one was seriously injured, but one of our constables was hurt," Aziz said.
India condemned the arrest of Das, saying in a sternly worded statement that the perpetrators of documented vandalism and arson against minorities as well as those who desecrated deities remained at large.
Hindu-majority India has strong cultural and business ties with its neighbour and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has expressed concern over a spate of attacks on Hindus.
"It is unfortunate that, while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings," the Indian foreign ministry statement said.
Bangladesh's foreign ministry, responding to India, said the government does not interfere in the judiciary's work, and the matter was being dealt with by the court of law.
"The Government of Bangladesh is also committed to upholding communal harmony in the country," the ministry said.
A series of earthquakes struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate buildings as a precaution against p...
Maritime security teams from Greece’s Diaplous and Britain’s Ambrey began a high-risk operation on Wednesday to evacuate the 22-strong crew of the...
Energy integration between Azerbaijan and Europe, along with opportunities to increase gas supplies was discussed during Energy Minister Parviz Shahba...
A court in Ankara has ordered regulators on Wednesday to block access to Grok, the artificial-intelligence chatbot built into Elon Musk’s X platform...
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has declared Yale University 'an undesirable' organization on its territory, accusing the American institution...
The Chinese government has issued a strong rebuke to suggestions of NATO involvement in the Asia-Pacific, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stating unequivocally that the region neither welcomes nor needs such an expansion.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a plan to scale up its operations by 50% over the next decade, leveraging its existing capital base to enhance bank’s impact across Asia and the Pacific.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged stronger sanctions and defence support for Ukraine as the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia nears approval.
Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,500-year-old city in northern Peru that likely served as a key trade hub connecting ancient coastal, Andean, and Amazonian cultures.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
Shipments of antimony to the United States have jumped to more than 3,800 tonnes in five months via Thailand and Mexico, customs data show, as buyers find back-door routes around Beijing’s export ban on critical minerals bound for the U.S.
From launching 25 % duties on Mexican goods in February to unveiling a 50 % levy on imported copper on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump has fired off a rapid-fire series of tariff moves that has jolted financial markets and unsettled global supply chains.
Russia has confiscated 3.9 trillion roubles (about $50 billion) in company assets since 2022, signalling a decisive shift towards a “fortress Russia” economic model, the Kommersant business daily reported on Wednesday.
A series of earthquakes struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Maritime security teams from Greece’s Diaplous and Britain’s Ambrey began a high-risk operation on Wednesday to evacuate the 22-strong crew of the Greek-operated Eternity C, after a Houthi drone-and-speed-boat assault off Yemen on Monday killed four sailors and wounded two.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment