9 arrested in connection with lawyer's murder during Bangladesh violence

DHAKA: At least nine persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of a lawyer during violence in Bangladesh's southeastern port city of Chattogram, police said on Saturday. They were arrested after a case was filed against 46 persons, mostly cleanliness workers belonging to the minority Hindu community, for their involvement in the murder of assistant public prosecutor Saiful Islam, who was in his early 30s, during clashes on Tuesday between security personnel and followers of Hindu community leader Chinmoy Krishna Das after he was denied bail and sent to jail by a Chattogram court.

Das, the spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here on Monday in a sedition case.

"Saiful Islam's father filed the case last night naming 46 people," said Abdul Karim, the officer in charge of the port city's Kotwali police station.

Karim said most of the accused were residents of the city's Sebok Colony, a hub of cleanliness workers belonging to the Hindu community.

He said nine of the accused were arrested and a manhunt to arrest the others was underway.

He said the accused were identified through CCTV footage of the court premises, the scene of the violence on November 26.

Police said one person identified as Chandan Das was the primary accused as he was seen chopping the lawyer with a sharp weapon.

The incident sparked nationwide outrage with lawyers and political groups taking to the streets demanding stern punitive actions against Islam's killers while some groups wanted ISKCON Bangladesh to be banned.

ISKCON Bangladesh, however, said Das was expelled from the organisation long before his arrest and added that ISKCON was not involved in the murder or violence.