CHITTAGONG, Nov 26: Law enforcement authorities in Bangladesh clashed with devotees and supporters of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, also known as Chinmoy Prabhu, after they gathered outside the Chittagong Magistrate’s Court to demand the release of their leader. The police used batons and fired sound grenades at the crowd of devotees, who had come to protest his imprisonment.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Chittagong Metropolitan Court ordered the imprisonment of Chinmoy Prabhu, the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Manch, after rejecting his bail plea. Prabhu was arrested by Dhaka police on Monday at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Chittagong. The arrest comes after Prabhu and the Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote had been advocating for the protection and rights of the Sanatani (Hindu) community in Bangladesh, raising eight key demands related to minority rights and safety.
Following the arrest, thousands of Hindu men and women took to the streets in Chittagong, especially in the Cheragi Pahar area, demanding his immediate release. Similar rallies were organized in other cities, including Dhaka, Rangpur, Khulna, and Cox’s Bazar. In Dhaka, protesters were attacked by miscreants near Shahbagh Junction, leaving two individuals injured.
Chinmoy Prabhu’s arrest is tied to a sedition case filed on October 30 against him and 18 others at Kotwali Police Station in Chittagong. The charges stem from an incident during a public rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram on October 25, where they allegedly hoisted a saffron flag above the official flag of Bangladesh.
Chinmoy Prabhu and the Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote have gained significant attention in Bangladesh’s socio-political circles following large-scale rallies in Chittagong on October 25 and in Rangpur on November 22, as they continue to call for the protection of the country’s Hindu minority community.
