A large number of Hindu community members organised a rally in Bangladesh’s Chittagong city on Friday to demand the withdrawal of sedition cases filed against 19 people including an ISKCON functionary.
Several Hindu community members, including ISKCON Chattogram Divisional Organising Secretary Chandan Kumar Dhar alias Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, were slapped with charges after they were accused of “disrespecting” the national flag.
During the protest, several demonstrators claimed law enforcers created obstacles to prevent them from joining the rally.
Swatantra Gouranga Das Brahmachari, a coordinator of Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, at the rally, told The Daily Star, “Members of law enforcement agencies are obstructing people coming to the rally in different spots including Jamal Khan, Nandan Kanan, Anderkilla and Surson Road.”
“If they are not allowing the people of Sanatani community to come to the rally, we will go to the spots to bring them here,” he added.
Gouranga Das told the Bangladeshi newspaper that they will submit a memorandum to the chief advisor through the deputy commissioners of 64 districts demanding the withdrawal of the case on Sunday.
“We will go for a tougher programme if the case is not withdrawn by Monday,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s BNP party said it had expelled its local leader for filing a case against Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari and 19 others.
The expelled leader was identified as Firoz Khan.
Firoz’s expulsion was confirmed in a letter issued on Friday by Mohammad Azam, president of Chandgaon Thana BNP, and Acting General Secretary Gias Uddin Bhuiyan, reported Dhaka Tribune.
The fresh protest by minorities occurred at a time in Bangladesh when former US President Donald Trump condemned the recent attacks on Hindu community members in the South Asian country.
He posted on X: “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos.”
A large number of Hindu houses, business establishments and temples were attacked and vandalised by radicals following the fall of former PM Sheikh Hasina-led government amid protests against her government on August 5.
