New Age | The murder case was filed in protest against the killing of a lawyer on the premises of the CTG court

Four days after lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was beaten to death in Chattogram, a murder case was lodged with the Kotwali police against 31 named and 10-15 unidentified people early on Saturday amid protests demanding justice for the murder.

The victim’s father, Jamal Uddin, filed the murder complaint.

Saiful’s elder brother Khane Alam filed another case at the same police station over attacks and vandalism committed at a court premises in Chattogram against 116 named people and 400-500 unnamed people, said Kazi Md Tarek Aziz, additional deputy commissioner of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police.

With these two, five cases have been filed so far regarding the murder of Deputy Public Prosecutor Saiful Islam Alif in Chattogram near court premises and clashes between members of law enforcement agencies and supporters of Bangladesh, Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, spokesman Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari on November 26.

The killings and clashes came as police were remanding Chinmoy Krishna Das, who had been arrested on sedition charges, to prison on a court order.

Saiful’s family filed two cases and the police filed three cases, all of which have so far led to the arrest of 38 people, including nine allegedly identified in the lawyer’s killing.

In Dhaka city, the Bangladesh Krishi Bank Jatiyatabadi Forum held a rally outside the bank’s headquarters in Motijheel area on Saturday morning to protest against the killing.

Speakers at the rally alleged that the ousted fascist Awami League government killed the lawyer in a planned manner to trigger anarchy.

The named accused in the murder case include Chandan, Aman Das, Shuvo Kanti Das, Bunja, Ranab, Bidhan, Bikash, Ramit, Rumit Das, Nayan Das, Gagan Das, Vishal Das, Omkar Das, Vishal, Rajkapur, Lala, Samir, Sohel Das, Shiv Kumar, Biglal, Parash, Ganesh, Om Das, Poppy, Ajay, Devi Charan, Dev, Joy, Durlav Das, Rajib Bhattacharya, all allegedly residents of Sebak Colony Bandel Road under Kotwali Police of the city, as per the case documents.

When the court ordered Chinmoy Krishna Das’s transfer to jail and rejected his bail application, his lawyers became agitated, made offensive remarks against the court and created chaos in the premises, the plea said.

Chinmoy supporters blocked the prison van for about two to three hours, and when police, Bangladesh Border Guards and Ansar tried to disperse them, they created chaos by shouting provocative slogans and vandalizing 20 to 30 vehicles, the case statement said further.

Later that day, around 4:30 p.m., the accused allegedly targeted Alif because of his beard and attacked him with sharp weapons, leaving marks on 21-22 places on his body.

In the case statement, Alif’s father also claimed that after speaking to witnesses and his son’s colleagues, he found that the murder was due to direct and indirect instigation by leaders and activists from Chhatra League, Juba League, Awami League and was committed by other organizations affiliated with it.

The lawyers’ deaths sparked protests in Dhaka and Chattogram and elsewhere in the country demanding justice and also a ban on ISKCON in Bangladesh.

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was formerly a leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON.

Meanwhile, three leaders of the banned student organization Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, were arrested on Saturday in a case of vandalism at an ISKCON-run temple in Kishoreganj’s Bhairab.

Those arrested are Joint General Secretary of Bhairab Municipal Unit of Chhatra League Hasibul Hasan, Secretary Library Affairs MD Sanjib and Joint General Secretary of Bhairab Upazila Unit MD Pranto.

Bhairab police officer-in-charge MD Shahin said the incident took place on Friday afternoon at the Sri Sri Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha at Ranibazar Haludpatti in the upazila.

“We have so far arrested three suspects in connection with the incident. “They are leaders of the Chhatra League,” he said.

Pranay Karmakar, a resident of Tinpatti area, has lodged a complaint with the Bhairab police against unknown persons, he said.

At 5 p.m., 15-20 people attacked the temple with sticks, the lawsuit said.