Last Updated on January 19, 2026 11:10 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
A Bangladesh court on Monday framed charges against 39 people, including Hindu monk and former ISKCON figure Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, in connection with the murder of Chattogram court lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in November 2024. Judge Md Jahidul Haque of the Chattogram Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal framed the charges after hearing both sides. Assistant public prosecutor Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury told journalists that Chinmoy was charged under Sections 302 and 109 of the Penal Code, while 22 others face charges under various sections. Of the accused, 23 are in custody and 16 are absconding.
Ahead of the hearing, authorities deployed around 900 security personnel, including police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and army units. Access to the court was restricted, and ID checks were conducted. During the hearing, Chinmoy addressed the court himself as his lawyer was delayed, seeking further investigation and denying involvement in the murder.
Lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was beaten and hacked to death on November 26, 2024, during clashes outside the Chattogram court after Chinmoy’s bail was denied in a sedition case. The sedition charge stemmed from a complaint alleging disrespect to the national flag during a Hindu rally in October.
Police said the killing followed instigation and provocation by Chinmoy, as cited in the charge sheet submitted by investigating officer Mahfuzur Rahman. Subsequent violence led to three more cases over vandalism and attacks on police, naming 79 people and around 1,400 unidentified individuals.
Chinmoy’s arrest sparked large-scale protests by the Hindu community, amid heightened political unrest following the August 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina. India has repeatedly alleged “systematic persecution of Hindu minorities” under the Yunus-led interim government, a claim Dhaka has rejected.