Police in Bangladesh arrest Hindu leader who leads rallies for minority protection

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Police in Bangladesh’s capital have arrested a prominent Hindu leader who has been leading rallies demanding security for Hindus in the overwhelmingly Muslim nation since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid a mass uprising in August.

Hindus and members of other minority groups say they have faced more attacks than ever since an interim government replaced the ousted prime minister, as Islamist groups have become more prominent and demoralized security agencies have left a security vacuum. The government says the threat to Hindus has been exaggerated.

Around 91% of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim, with Hindus making up almost all of the rest.

Officials, witnesses and local media reports said that Krishna Das Prabhu, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, was arrested in Dhaka’s main airport on Monday while traveling to Chattogram in southeastern Bangladesh.

Rezaul Karim Mallik, an official of the Detective Branch of Police, confirmed Prabhu’s arrest. Other officials also confirmed but would not provide further details on the charges.

Kushal Baran Chakrabarty, who was accompanying Prabhu at the time of his arrest, said that several detectives took the Hindu leader to a police car at the airport.

“Chinmoy Prabhu gave his phone to me as he was forcefully taken to the police car. The police detectives jostled with us to forcefully take his phone and they took it away. We then followed the police car that headed for the headquarters of the Detective Branch at Minto Road in Dhaka,” he said. “We stayed outside the Detective Branch’s office.”

Prabhu faces charges of sedition filed in October after he led a huge rally in Chattogram in which he was accused of disrespecting