Dhaka [Bangladesh], November 25 : Chandan Kumar Dhar, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, former leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was arrested on Monday afternoon from Dhaka airport, The Daily Star reported.
After the ISKCON leader's arrest, a section of the Hindu community in the capital blocked the Shahbagh intersection late in the evening.
The arrest was made by a team of detectives in the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area of Dhaka in connection with a case filed in Chattogram, according to Rezaul Karim Mallick, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police and chief of Detective Branch.
A sedition case was filed on October 31 against 19 people, including Chinmoy, former divisional organising secretary of the ISKCON, Chattogram, with Kotwali Police Station, as per The Daily Star.
Firoz Khan, then general secretary of Mohora ward Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), filed the case alleging disrespect to Bangladesh's national flag in Chattogram's New Market area during a rally of the Hindu community on August 25.
A day after filing the case, Firoz was expelled from the party over "anti-party" activities.
"The incident occurred on October 25, when a group of youths reportedly placed a saffron-coloured flag over the Bangladeshi flag on the Independent pillar (Shadhinata Smathamva) at Zero Point near the New Market intersection during a rally organised by the Hindu community under the banner "Sanatan Jagaran Mancha," according to the case statement.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people from the Hindu community protested at the Cheragi Pahar intersection in the port city around 6:00 pm (local time) after Chinmoy's arrest. They brought out a procession and demanded his immediate release, according to The Daily Star.
Swatantro Gouranga Das Brahmachari, member of the managing committee of ISKCON Prabartak Sri Krishna Mandir said "Chinmoy went to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 3:30 pm to catch a flight to Chattogram.'
"From his personal assistant, I found out that some plainclothes men introducing themselves as members of the detective branch picked him up from the entrance of the airport," he said.
"So far we have information that he was taken to the DB office at Minto Road in Dhaka," he added.
Police have been deployed to thwart any untoward incident, confirmed Kazi Tarek Aziz, additional deputy commissioner (public relations) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police.
The Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad in a statement condemned Chinmoy's arrest.
Its presidents Ushaton Talukder, Prof Dr Nim Chandra Bhowmik, and Nirmal Rozario and acting general secretary Manindra Kumar Nath demanded the release of Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote spokesperson Prabhu Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in the national interest.
Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote is an alliance of different Hindu organisations. Chinmoy is also the principal of Sri Sri Pundarik Dham, a Hindu temple at Chattogram's Hathazari upazila.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad in a separate statement also expressed deep concern over the arrest and demanded his immediate release.
The leaders opined that the arrest has the potential to tarnish Bangladesh's global image on the issue of freedom of expression and human rights.
Earlier, Police in Bangladesh arrested two of the accused in connection with a case filed on October 31. The arrests of Rajesh Chowdhury and Hriday Das were made in the Sadarghat area of Chattogram.
They are among 18 individuals accused in the case, which includes Ajay Dutta, Leela Raj Das Brahmachari, Gopal Das Tipu, Dr Kathak Das, Engineer Amit Dhar, Roni Das, Rajib Das, Krishna Kumar Dutta, Jiku Chowdhury, Newton Dey, Tushar Chakraborty Rajib, Mithun Dey, Rupan Dhar, Rimon Dutta, Sukanta Das and Biswajit Gupta.