Two funeral prayers for slain Chittagong lawyer Saiful Islam Alif were held in the districts on Wednesday, attended by politicians, lawyers, coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and a large number of people from various walks of life.
The first prayer session took place at around 10:30am on the Chittagong court premises, where Saiful, 35, an assistant public prosecutor, had been hacked to death the previous day amid clashes over a court order sending Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das to jail.
Before the prayer, lawyer leaders delivered speeches demanding the arrest and prosecution of those involved in Saiful's killing.
Saiful’s body was later taken to the Jamiatul Falah Mosque grounds in the city, where the second prayer was held at about 11:30am, led by Shahjahan Chowdhury, the Chittagong metropolitan ameer of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
Notable attendees included Land Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement coordinator Hasnat Abdullah, July Shaheed Smrity Foundation General Secretary Sarjis Alam, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain and BNP Vice Chairman Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury.
On Tuesday afternoon, followers of Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson for the Sanatan Jagaran Jote, clashed with law enforcement near the court after his bail was denied.
The clashes escalated, and during the turmoil, lawyer Saiful Islam was reportedly picked up from the court area and hacked to death.
