Members of the Sanatan Jagaran Mancha are protesting at the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka over the detention of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of the Sanatan Jagaran Manch, and head of Chattogram's Pundarik Dham.
The protest began around 7:30pm on Monday, with demonstrators blocking traffic at Shahbagh.
Members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), protesting the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sanatani Jagaran Jot, were removed from the Shahbagh intersection by locals.
The matter was confirmed by Shahbagh police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Khalid Mansur.
Following their removal, the protesters held a rally at the Raju Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus. ISKCON members announced plans for a nationwide movement and a long march to Dhaka to demand the release of Chinmoy Krishna Das.
Around 8pm on Monday, a group of 60–70 protesters gathered at the Shahbagh intersection, blocking traffic.
Locals and passengers forced them to disperse, allowing traffic to resume. By 9pm, the situation had returned to normal.
OC Mohammad Khalid Mansur told the media that police remain alert at the spot.
Tamoy, who identified himself as a representative of the protesters, said: “Chinmoy Babu was unjustly arrested. While protesting at Shahbagh, we were attacked in the presence of police. There were more police officers than protesters, but they did nothing. If Chinmoy Babu is not released, there will be a second mass uprising. A long march to Dhaka is inevitable.”
Another protester, Piyush Das, added: “We demand the release of Chinmoy Das. Bangladesh is our motherland, and if the sons of this soil are oppressed, we will resist.”
During the Shahbagh blockade, a Dhaka University correspondent for a national daily was reportedly attacked. He later sought shelter in a nearby shop.
Meanwhile, local BNP leaders and activists, particularly from Wards 20 and 21 of Dhaka South City Corporation, protested against ISKCON supporters at Shahbagh.
They claimed that Awami League supporters had gathered under the guise of ISKCON supporters to destabilize the situation.
Following the protest, BNP supporters held a brief rally at the Shahbagh intersection.
Earlier, at around 4:30pm DMP's Additional Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB), Rezaul Karim Mallik, confirmed Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari’s detention at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
He said: "He has been detained based on a requisition related to a complaint. He will be handed over to the concerned police station as per the procedure."
