Clashes between security forces and Hindu protesters in Bangladesh led to at least one death after Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested on sedition charges. India urged the protection of minorities, emphasizing the need for communal harmony in the region.
At least one person has died in Bangladesh during clashes between security forces and Hindus protesting the arrest of a religious leader, police reported, as neighbouring India called for the protection of Hindus and minorities.
Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu leader linked to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was arrested at Dhaka airport on Monday on multiple charges, including sedition. His arrest led to protests by his followers in both Dhaka, the capital, and the city of Chittagong.
A Muslim lawyer was killed during protests outside a Chittagong court, according to police.
A probe into the alleged killing has been ordered, the caretaker government said in a statement, with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus instructing law enforcement to increase security in the port city.
"The interim government is committed to ensuring and upholding communal harmony in Bangladesh at any cost," the government stated. Das, facing sedition charges filed in October after leading a large rally in Chittagong, was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag and was denied bail by a Chittagong court on Tuesday.
RAMPAGE
As Das was being escorted back to prison from court, over 2,000 of his supporters surrounded the police van, delaying it for more than 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 explained.
India criticised Das's arrest, issuing a strongly worded statement noting that those responsible for documented vandalism and arson against minorities and for desecrating deities have not been apprehended.
Hindu-majority India shares close cultural and business ties with Bangladesh, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has expressed concern over recent 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," India’s foreign ministry said.
In response, Bangladesh's foreign ministry emphasised that the government does not interfere with judicial processes, stating that the matter is being handled by the courts.
"The Government of Bangladesh is also committed to upholding communal harmony in the country," the ministry added.
The U.S. ambassador to Türkiye says Israel and Syria have reached a ceasefire deal supported by Türkiye, Jordan, and regional actors after cross-bor...
The Trump administration has completed a controversial prisoner swap with Venezuela, returning around 250 deported Venezuelans in exchange for 10 Amer...
U.S. President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law on Friday, creating the first U.S. regulatory framework for dollar-backed stablecoins and m...
German authorities have arrested a Libyan man accused of overseeing torture and sexual abuse at a notorious prison in Tripoli, the International Crimi...
Violence broke out on Wednesday at a rally of Bangladesh’s youth-led National Citizen Party (NCP) in the southern town of Gopalganj, leaving four dead and more injured.
China, Pakistan and Bangladesh are in advanced talks to establish a new regional cooperation framework that could serve as an alternative to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), according to a report by Pakistan’s Express Tribune.
The government of Bangladesh has ordered tax and customs officials to immediately end a two-day nationwide strike that has paralysed tax operations, including customs services at the country’s key trade gateway, Chittagong Port.
Azerbaijan and Bangladesh seek to deepen their bilateral and multilateral ties. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with his Bangladeshi counterpart Touhid Hossain on Sunday at the 51st Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Germany's export slump since 2021 is largely driven by deep-rooted competitiveness issues, the Bundesbank warned in its latest report, calling for urgent structural reforms.
Israeli researchers have unveiled an artificial intelligence tool that can determine a person’s true biological age from tiny DNA samples with remarkable precision.
Two Harry Potter actresses, Emma Watson and Zoe Wanamaker, have each received a six-month driving ban after separate speeding offences, both sentenced on the same day at a Buckinghamshire court.
North Korea has stopped foreign tourists from visiting its new Wonsan-Kalma resort just weeks after it welcomed the first Russian visitors.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Coca-Cola has agreed to use real cane sugar in the U.S., though the company has not confirmed the claim.
The U.S. ambassador to Türkiye says Israel and Syria have reached a ceasefire deal supported by Türkiye, Jordan, and regional actors after cross-border strikes this week heightened tensions.
The Trump administration has completed a controversial prisoner swap with Venezuela, returning around 250 deported Venezuelans in exchange for 10 American detainees.
Congo and the M23 rebel group have agreed on a declaration of principles after months of Qatar-mediated talks, aiming to end fighting in the country’s east.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment