In a courtroom showdown, Bangladesh’s Chittagong Speedy Trial Tribunal has charged Hindu spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das and 38 others with the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif during a chaotic November episode outside court. The decision marks a critical juncture amid rising minority concerns.
Judge Mohammad Jahidul Haq weighed both sides’ pleas before upholding the indictment. Rehanul Wazed Chowdhury, the prosecutor, disclosed to The Daily Star specifics: Chinmoy is hit with murder (IPC 302) and abetment (109) counts, alongside tailored charges for others.
Twenty-three accused languish in jail; 16 evade capture. Fearing trouble, officials stationed 900 RAB, army, and police personnel, securing the site like a war zone for Chinmoy’s session.
Without his lawyers, Chinmoy proclaimed innocence and sought further inquiry into Alif’s death, which stemmed from violent November 26 clashes post his sedition bail denial.
Detained from Dhaka on November 25 and jailed thereafter despite pleas, his case galvanized Hindu demonstrations. The shift from Hasina’s era to Yunus’s interim government has seen amplified Hindu attacks, irking India, which decries ‘orchestrated minority persecution.’
This unfolding drama spotlights Bangladesh’s challenges in balancing justice with communal peace, with the trial’s outcome likely to influence domestic stability and international perceptions.