DHAKA, DEC 2 (IANS) — The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has expressed shock and concerns over a "false and harassing case" accusing 70 minority lawyers and two journalists from Chittagong.
The case filed with the Kotwali police station on November 30, accuses them of being involved in crude bombs explosions and vandalising vehicles.
In an official statement on Sunday, the council said the case was filed with the ulterior motive of obstructing the sedition case brought against ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari and forcibly preventing the publication and dissemination of related news, which violates human rights and the rule of law.
The council also demanded that the Bangladeshi government and law enforcement authorities immediately withdraw the false case and take urgent steps to release the lawyers and journalists.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, ISKCON Kolkata alleged that Bangladeshi authorities had arrested two monks, Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari, as well as the secretary of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata, Radha Raman, said that the monks were arrested on Friday by the police while on their way home after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested on charges of sedition on November 25.
"On November 29, when Adipurush Shyam Das and Ranganath Das Brahmachari were returning after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, they were arrested by the police. We are also receiving information that the secretary of Chinmoy Krishna Das has also been arrested," Radha Raman said in a self-made video.
He further claimed that rioters also vandalised the ISKCON centre in Bangladesh.
The situation in Bangladesh has been tense since spiritual preacher Chinmoy Krishna Das was charged with sedition for allegedly hoisting a saffron flag above Bangladesh's national flag in Chittagong on October 25.
Following Das's arrest, a lawyer was killed during clashes between police and alleged followers of the spiritual guru in the Chattogram Court Building area on November 27.
On Friday, India expressed concern over the rise of "extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation" in Bangladesh.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India has consistently and strongly raised the issue of targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities with the Bangladeshi government.