After the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, and the court’s order to send him to custody without granting bail, a triangular clash broke out among Hindus, Muslims, and law enforcement, turning the Chattogram court premises and surrounding Kotwali areas into a battlefield. To disperse the protesting Sanatanis, law enforcement used tear gas and batons.
From 12 PM to 3 PM on Tuesday, Hindus staged protests at the court premises. Clashes began shortly after 3 PM. Hindus allege that the police, local Muslims, and law enforcement attacked them. On the other hand, pro-BNP-Jamaat lawyers allege that members of ISKCON vandalized their mosque and over 50 vehicles. Despite conflicting accounts, Kotwali and its surrounding areas remained tense until evening.
At 1 PM, shortly after Chinmoy Krishna was sent to custody, several hundred Sanatani Hindus staged a protest at the court premises. To control the situation, police resorted to baton charges, scattering the protesters.
By 3 PM, in the annex and Doel building areas of the court, around 10 to 15 motorcycles belonging to lawyers were found damaged, along with seven cars. Several window panes of the court mosque were also broken.
Lawyers are divided in their narratives. One group claims that the protesting Hindus vandalized their vehicles and attacked the mosque, while another suggests that the police baton charge left the protesters with little time for such actions. The latter group believes that this was an attempt to incite communal unrest.
Later, at 3 PM, allegations of a “mosque attack” fueled further clashes between Muslims, Hindus, and law enforcement in areas such as Kotwali’s Terri Bazar, Laldighi, Hawkers Market, Jalsa Market, and Laldighi Mosque. Law enforcement struggled to bring the situation under control. Some miscreants also vandalized motorcycles belonging to journalists covering the incident.
A lawyer killed in clashes at the Chittagong court.
One lawyer, Saiful Islam Alif, was killed in the clashes at the court. He was declared dead after being taken to Chattogram Medical College (CMC).
Over 50 people were injured in the repeated clashes, with many receiving treatment in different hospitals across the city. Those hospitalized at CMC include Sribas Das, Shanku Das, Choton, Sujit Ghosh, Utpal, and Enamul Haque. Additionally, 19 people injured in the Laldighi clashes were admitted to Chattogram General Hospital, where doctors confirmed they were out of danger.
Deployment of Border Guards (BGB)
To stabilize the situation, six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in the city, as confirmed in a press release.
Condemnation of Journalist Vehicle Vandalism
The Chattogram Union of Journalists (CUJ) condemned the vandalism of four journalists’ motorcycles during the unrest. Victims included photojournalists from Amader Shomoy, Desh Rupantor, BDNews24, and Sarabangla. The CUJ president and general secretary issued a statement denouncing such attacks and urged everyone to ensure the safety of journalists and their equipment while they perform their professional duties.