A Chattogram court has ordered that Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, the spokesperson of the Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jote, be shown arrested in four more cases related to the violent incidents surrounding the death of a lawyer.
The order was issued by Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin Mahmud on Tuesday after a hearing.
Assistant Public Prosecutor of the Chattogram Metropolitan Court, Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, stated that the investigation officers had submitted petitions seeking to show Chinmoy arrested in three cases filed by the police following the events of November 26, and in an additional case lodged by the brother of deceased lawyer Saiful Islam Alif.
Following the hearing, the court approved the petitions. Chinmoy appeared virtually before the court, a step the prosecution said was taken in light of his security and the broader situation.
Of the four new cases, three were police filings related to the clashes and chaos near the court premises, while the fourth was filed by Khane Alam, brother of lawyer Alif.
This development followed a previous court decision on Monday to show Chinmoy arrested in the murder case of Alif, based on a petition submitted by the investigation officer.
Chinmoy was initially arrested on November 25 in Dhaka in a sedition case involving allegations of disrespecting the national flag.
On the following day, Chattogram’s 6th Metropolitan Magistrate, Kazi Shariful Islam, denied his bail request and ordered that he be placed in jail.
This decision sparked outrage among members of the Hindu community, who gathered outside the court and surrounded the prison van transporting Chinmoy.
The protest continued for roughly two and a half hours, until police intervened using stun grenades to disperse the demonstrators and take Chinmoy into custody.
During the protest, several vehicles and motorcycles parked near the court were damaged.
Tensions escalated further when a physical altercation broke out between protesters and lawyers.
Amid the chaos, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was killed on the road near the Rangam Convention Hall.
Following his death, Alif’s father, Jamal Uddin, lodged a murder case with the Chattogram Kotwali Police Station on November 29. The complaint named 31 individuals and identified 15 to 16 others as unknown suspects.
Subsequently, Alif’s brother, Khane Alam, filed a separate case accusing 116 individuals of attacking lawyers, detonating explosives, and vandalizing property. In addition, police registered three more cases related to the violence and the obstruction of law enforcement duties on the court premises, identifying 76 named suspects and approximately 1,400 unknown individuals.
On December 3, another case was filed by a person named Mohammad Ullah, naming 29 individuals—including a ward councillor and several Awami League leaders—for their alleged roles in the violence.
To date, police have arrested 21 individuals in connection with Alif’s murder. Among them, Chandan Das, Rajib Bhattacharya, and Ripon Das have reportedly provided confessional statements.
