The government said on Wednesday that six persons had been taken into custody by Bangladeshi police in relation to the killing of a lawyer amid skirmishes between security personnel and Hindu demonstrators.
According to a government statement, 21 more persons have been taken into custody “for vandalism and attacks on police” following Tuesday’s unrest in the port city of Chittagong.
After being denied bail, angry followers of vocal Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, who was detained the day before on charges related to insulting the national flag at a protest, clashed with police on Tuesday.
Police reported a public prosecutor, identified as Muslim Saiful Islam Alif, was slain in the turmoil as protesters threw rocks and security personnel fired tear gas canisters.
Since longtime arbitrary prime ruler Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee to India in August due to a student-led upheaval, religious relations have been tense in the 170 million-person Muslim-majority country.
Brahmachari is the spokesperson for a recently established Hindu organization that is spearheading demonstrations demanding the defense of the Hindu minority, which makes up around 8% of the population.
Six of the 21 people detained were alleged to be affiliated with Hasina’s Awami League party and its now-banned student arm, the Chhatra League.
The office of Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate who succeeded Hasina as temporary leader, said in a statement that they were arrested with “homemade adapted” petrol bombs.
Dhaka, the capital, and Chittagong were both said to be peaceful on Wednesday.
There were several retaliations against Hindus in the tumultuous days after Hasina’s overthrow, who were perceived by some as having supported her government.
After years of repression, Muslim groups have gained the confidence to demonstrate in public, while Hindu groups have joined in counter-demonstrations.
