Bangladesh: 9 held in connection with lawyer's murder during clashes
What's the story
At least nine people have been arrested in the murder of a lawyer during violent clashes in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The victim, assistant public prosecutor Saiful Islam, was killed on November 26 amid unrest after the imprisonment of Hindu community leader Chinmoy Krishna Das. A case has been filed against 46 people, mostly sanitation workers of the Hindu community residing in Sebok Colony.
Suspect named
Primary suspect identified in lawyer's murder
The main accused in Islam's murder has been identified as Chandan Das, who was caught attacking Islam with a sharp weapon in CCTV footage of the court premises. The violence broke out after Chinmoy, a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was denied bail and sent to jail for allegedly disrespecting the national flag. His supporters protested his imprisonment by obstructing the movement of his prison van, triggering clashes that left at least 37 injured, including 10 policemen.
Violent protests
Unrest follows Hindu leader's imprisonment
In light of the unrest, joint forces detained 30 people across Chattogram for verification as part of ongoing investigations. Later, some groups called for a ban on ISKCON Bangladesh. However, ISKCON said that Das had been expelled from the organization prior to his arrest due to a breach of organizational discipline and denied any involvement in the unrest.