Bangladesh police clash with protesters as Hindu leader detained

A court in Chittagong denied bail to the man charged with sedition as India cautioned about justice for minorities.

Police in Bangladesh have used tear gas against Hindus protesting against the arrest of a religious leader as neighbouring India called for ensuring the safety of Hindus and minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.

Chinmoy Krishna Das, also known as Krishna Das Prabhu, was arrested at Dhaka airport on Monday on charges including sedition.

A court in the port city of Chittagong on Tuesday denied bail to the priest associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), widely known as the Hare Krishna movement.

According to the city’s police, more than 2,000 supporters surrounded the van and blocked its path for some time when Das was being escorted back to prison from court.

The demonstrators threw bricks at the police and officers fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, said Chittagong Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasib Aziz, who added no one was seriously hurt.

Das’s arrest set off protests by his supporters in both Chittagong, the country’s second-largest city, and the capital, Dhaka.

India noted the arrest and denial of bail with “deep concern”. The neighbouring Hindu-majority country’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the incident follows attacks on Hindus and other minorities, along with places of worship, by “extremist elements in Bangladesh”.

It said the perpetrators of those incidents remain at large while Bangladeshi authorities pressed charges against “a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings”.

Sedition charges were filed against Das in October after he led a large rally in Chittagong, during which it is accused