A Muslim lawyer killed in violence in Bangladesh was not part of the jailed Hindu monk’s legal team

Supporters of an imprisoned Hindu monk demanding the protection of a minority of Hindus in Bangladesh clashed with the police in the port city of Chittagong in November, and a Muslim public prosecutor was killed in the violence. The Chittagong District Bar Association, however, denied claims often shared by media organizations in neighboring Hindu India that the deceased lawyer was representing a Hindu monk. A court document released separately by the Bangladesh government shows a different lawyer was handling the case.

“Bangladesh: Muslim lawyer representing ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das killed!” read part of a Facebook post shared on November 27, 2024.

It added that the killings were part of a so-called “deep regional” plot to spark war between Muslim-majority Bangladesh and its Hindu-majority neighbor India.

The post includes what appears to be a report from India’s Republic TV. The broadcaster made the same claim in a redacted report.

Religious relations have been in turmoil in Bangladesh since August’s student-led revolution forced longtime independent prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India (link saved).

In November, angry supporters of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari — who was arrested on charges related to disrespecting the national flag during a rally — clashed with police in Chittagong after he was denied bail.

Brahmachari is the spokesman for a newly formed Hindu group that is leading protests for the protection of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. He was a member of the mainstream ISKCON, often called the Hare Krishna movement.

The police said that a public prosecutor was killed in the chaos, and identified him as Saiful Islam Alif, a Muslim.

A similar post that Alif represented Brahmachari in his case was also published by other Indian media organizations such as FirstPost, Economic Times and Asianet News.

Social media posts by X and Facebook also share the claims.

A separate attorney

But the claims are false, according to Nazimuddin Chowdhury, president of the Chittagong District Bar Association.

“The deceased lawyer was not defending Chinmoy Das and was not part of the prosecution team. Alif was killed by a violent mob on his way home,” Chowdhury told AFP on December 11.

“A case was opened following the murder incident, and 11 people were arrested by law enforcement,” he added.

Bangladesh’s interim government — led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus — also called the allegations “false” in a statement shared on Facebook on November 27 (link archived).

“Some Indian media claim that lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, who was brutally murdered in Chattagram today, was representing Chinmoy Krishna Das. The claim is false and is being spread on purpose,” the statement read.

He added that Brahmachari is represented by a lawyer named Subasish Sharma.

The media wing of the interim government also provided reporters with a copy of Brahmachari’s bail application bearing the name of lawyer Subasish Sharma. Alif’s name is not listed anywhere in the filing.

Below are screenshots from the document showing the stamp bearing Sharma’s name:

Bangladeshi media including the Daily Star and Prothom Alo that reported on Alif’s killing did not indicate that he was connected to the Hindu monk’s case (links here and here).

AFP released a wave of false information about the political turmoil in Bangladesh.

December 20, 2024 Modified section nine to remove link to Live Mint report