Followers of ex-ISKCON leader Chinmoy clash with cops; lawyer killed

A lawyer was killed during a clash between police and followers of former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in the Chattogram Court Building area today.

The deceased, 32-year-old Saiful Islam, is a member of Chattogram District Bar Association. He was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where the physicians on duty pronounced him dead around 4:00pm, said Nurul Islam, in-charge of CMCH Police Camp.

Citing eyewitnesses, Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, president of Chattogram District Bar Association, told The Daily Star, "During the clash, some Chinmoy supporters who were protesting on the court premises dragged Saiful to Rangam Convention Hall around 3:30pm and hacked him."

Mohammad Didar, an employee of Golum Rasul Market, who along with some other locals rescued Saiful and took him to the hospital, told The Daily Star, "Some Chinmoy followers hacked the lawyer on the road next to Rangam Convention Hall."

At least 10 people, including journalists, were injured during the clash. Five of them took treatment at CMCH, reports our correspondent.

Earlier, Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Shariful Islam sent Chinmoy to jail in a case on charges of disrespecting the national flag.

Immediately after the court's order around 12:00pm, his followers burst into protests. They sought to block the movement of the prison van carrying Chinmoy.

Later, police and members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) fired sound grenades and charged batons to clear the way for the van.