Students of Jagannath University on Tuesday night condemned the brutal killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif on Chattogram's court premises and demanded the immediate ban of the Hindu nationalist organization ISKCON.
They accused the hardliner Hindu organization of threatening the country's sovereignty and engaging in extremist activities.
During a protest march that concluded with a rally at 9:30 pm, the students raised slogans such as “Ban ISKCON now,” “No place for ISKCON in our Bengal,” and “Break the black hands of ISKCON.”
They also demanded accountability for the killing, chanting, “Why did our brother die? We want answers from the authorities.”
Masum, a student of Sociology department, alleged the extremist ISKCON has been conspiring to destabilize Bangladesh for some time. The brutal murder of state lawyer Alif in reflects this agenda. The perpetrators must be arrested and brought to justice without delay.
Naimur Rahman, another student, accused ISKCON of working to undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty and claimed that the organization is aligned with efforts to influence the country’s political stability.
“India is trying to destabilize us to rehabilitate certain forces. ISKCON is acting as their tool. We demand the banning of ISKCON and the arrest of those involved in Alif’s murder,” he said.
Junayed Masud, general secretary of the Human Rights Society at JnU, alleged that ISKCON, backed by Indian interests, has long harbored ambitions of creating a unified Indian state at the expense of Bangladesh's sovereignty.
“This Hindu nationalist group has repeatedly tried to create unrest in our independent nation,” he said, adding, “The murder of the lawyer is a manifestation of this conspiracy. We demand the immediate arrest and trial of those responsible.”
The students vowed to continue their demonstrations until their demands are met, urging authorities to ensure justice and preserve national stability.
Advocate Saiful Islam Alif was hacked to death amid clashes between police and Hindu community people on a Chattogram court premises on Tuesday after the court rejected bail to former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case.
