C T Online Desk: Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote and principal of Pundarik Dham, has been arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of the police.
Confirming the matter, Additional Commissioner of DB Rezaul Karim Mallick said he was arrested by the DB following a police request. He will be handed over to those who have applied.
Prasenjit Kumar Halder, central representative of the Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, said that DB took Chinmoy Krishna Das from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday afternoon. He was supposed to fly from Dhaka to Chattogram.
Chinmoy leads Bangladesh Sanatan Jagran Mancho which held a massive rally in Chattogram on 25 October. Soon after that rally, BNP leader Feroz Khan (later expelled) filed a sedition case in Chattogram against Chinmoy for insulting the national flag.
His organisation and Bangladesh Sammilita Sangkhalaghu Jote together launched a new platform named Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote recently. They organised a divisional rally in Rangpur on 22 November with their 8-point demands.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), earlier, expelled Chinmoy on disciplinary ground.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council condemns the arrest
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council President Ushatan Talukder, Nimchandra Bhowmik and Nirmal Rosario and Acting General Secretary Manindra Kumar Nath strongly condemned and protested the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari.
In the notification sent to the media, they said, as a result of this arrest, the international image of Bangladesh will be undermined on the issue of freedom of expression and human rights. They demanded immediate release of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari.
Hindus stage demo in front of DB office and Shahbagh
Some 30-40 activists of Sanatan Jagran Mancho gathered before the DB office in the capital on Monday evening. They chanted different slogans protesting the arrest of Chinmoy and announced to take a position in Shahbagh.
Later, more people of the Hindu community joined them when they went to the capital’s Shahbagh intersection at 7:00pm.
They blocked vehicle movement and tried to occupy the intersection until an identified group of people clashed with them throwing pieces of brick. Later, they were removed from Shahbagh at 8:30pm and situation returned to normalcy by 9:00pm.
ISKCON supporters stage demo in Ctg
The supporters of ISKCON staged demonstration demanding release of their leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in Chattogram’s Cheragi Pahar area on Monday evening.
Carrying banners they gathered in the Cheragi Pahar area and protested the arrest of Chinmoy and chanted slogans demanding his release.
On information, members of law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Public Relations) Kazi Mohammad Tarek Aziz said people from Hindu community gathered in the Cheragi Pahar area protesting arrest of Chinmoy.
Adequate security measures were taken to avert any untoward incident centring the demonstration, he added.
