Bangladesh police arrest Hindu community leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari amidst rising unrest

Bangladesh police arrested Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a leader of the Hindu group Sammilita Sanatani Jote, near the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday. "Das was detained in line with a request from (regular police)," spokesman of the Police's Detective Branch Rezaul Karim said.

Karim stated that Das would be transferred to the relevant police station for further legal procedures. He was detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, although Karim did not provide specific details about the charges leading to his arrest.

According to Bengali-language newspaper Prothom Alo, Das was previously a leader of ISKCON, but the organization had recently expelled him. ISKCON leaders in Bangladesh were unavailable for comment, but the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council condemned the arrest, expressing concerns about its potential impact on the country’s international reputation.

Bdnews24 news portal, citing Gaurang Das Brahmachari, a key organizer of Sanatani Jagran Jote, reported that Das was on his way to Chattogram by air from Dhaka.

A case was filed on October 30 at the Kotwali Police Station in Chattogram against 19 individuals, including Das, for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a Hindu community rally in the New Market area of Chattogram.

In response, hundreds of people from the Hindu community gathered at Cheragi Pahar intersection in the port city, demanding Das's immediate release. Similarly, in the capital, protestors blocked the Shahbagh intersection late in the evening in opposition to his arrest.