11 arrested in Ctg lawyer Alif murder also shown accused in another case

A Chattogram court today (3 February) morning ordered that 11 individuals, already in custody for the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, be shown arrested in another case related to vandalism and attacks on law enforcement.

Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Md Abu Bakar Siddique issued the order. The accused are Premanandan Das, 19, Ranab Das, 24, Bidhan Das, 29, Bikash Das, 24, Rumit Das, Raj Kapur, 55, Samir Das, 25, Shiv Kumar Das, 23, Om Das, 26, Ajay Das, 30, and Debi Charan, 36.

All 11 were named as accused in the murder case of lawyer Alif and are residents of Sebok Colony in the city's Bandel Road area. They were arrested from Sebok Colony on 26 January and later sent to jail after being shown arrested in the murder case.

Assistant Public Prosecutor of Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, confirmed the order and said police sought court permission to show them arrested in another case involving attacks on police and vandalism in the court premises over the bail petition of Sanatani Jagaran Jote spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das. "The court granted the request, and the accused were taken back to jail under tight security", he added.

Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former ISKCON leader and spokesperson of the Sanatani Jagaran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport on 25 November in a sedition case filed at Kotwali police station. The following day, he was produced before the Chattogram court, which denied his bail and sent him to jail.

As he was being taken to the prison van, his supporters launched protests, leading to clashes with law enforcement. Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel used batons and sound grenades to disperse the crowd. The unrest escalated from Laldighi Par to Kotwali area.

During the clashes, lawyer Saiful Islam Alif was brutally hacked to death. The Chattogram Bar Association has held ISKCON members and supporters responsible for the attack. Following the incident, Alif's father, Jamal Uddin, filed a murder case against 31 individuals. So far, 21 people have been arrested in connection with the case.

Alif's brother Khan-e Alam filed another case under the Explosives Act against 116 people for vandalism and assault.