DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A court in southeastern Bangladesh on Tuesday rescheduled by a month the bail hearing for a jailed prominent Hindu leader who in recent months led large rallies in the Muslim-majority country demanding better security for minority groups.
This comes as tensions spiked following reports of the desecration of the Indian flag across Bangladesh, with some burning it and others laying it on the floor for people to step on.
Relations between the two countries have taken a blow after long-time Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina fled to India in August after mass protests rocked the country, leaving more than hundreds killed and thousands wounded. India has since stopped issuing visas for Bangladeshi nationals, except for medical treatment.
Krishna Das Prabhu was arrested in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, last week and a court ordered his detention pending bail. He faces charges of sedition after he led huge rallies in the southeastern city of Chattogram, demanding protection against attacks that Hindu groups say amount to thousands.
His arrest had sparked violent protests by his supporters. A Muslim lawyer was hacked to death near the court in Chattogram hours after the news of his jailing surfaced and his supporters clashed with security forces and other locals. This has drawn concern from neighboring, Hindu-majority India and by Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel peace laurate Muhammad Yunus.
Prabhu, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, didn’t appear in court Tuesday.
Public Prosecutor Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan told The Associated Press by phone that Chattogram Metropolitan Session Judge Saiful Islam ordered the next hearing be held on Jan. 2 after the prosecution petitioned more time to study the case. He also said no defense lawyer represented Prabhu in court.
Also Tuesday, anti-India protests were planned in Dhaka after a group of Hindus in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura stormed a consulate office of Bangladesh on Monday. The protesters, angry over Prabhu’s arrest, reportedly rallied near Bangladesh’s diplomatic office and then attacked it.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it regretted the attack while Bangladesh condemned it sharply.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, an umbrella organization of the country’s minority groups, had denounced the arrest of Prabhu in a statement and demanded his release.
Prabhu is a prominent Hindu leader and a respected figure. He acts as spokesman for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatan Jagaran Jote group. He was also associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, widely known as the Hare Krishna movement.
Hindus and members of other minority groups say they have faced more attacks than ever since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Yunus and his close aides said the threat to Hindus has been exaggerated.
Around 91% of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim, with Hindus making up almost all of the rest.
Bangladesh has been passing through political and social tension since Hasina’s fall after a mass uprising ended her 15-year rule. Her critics say was increasingly becoming autocratic.
The Yunus-led government has been struggling to establish order. Mob justice, rowdy street protests by various groups, lack of motivation in the police administration and uncertainty over political course have thrown challenges for the interim government to keep order. Yunus has repeatedly urged the people to stay calm.
