A Muslim lawyer was killed outside a court in Chittagong on Tuesday after being mistakenly identified as a Hindu legal advisor to a jailed ISKCON leader, Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu.
According to reports from Indian intelligence agencies, the killing was carried out by supporters of the extremist group Jamaat-e-Islami.
The report, sent to Delhi on Wednesday, said that Saiful Islam Alif, an assistant public prosecutor, was attacked by Jamaat supporters after he was mistaken for the lawyer representing Das. Alif was at the court for a different case unrelated to Das.
Alif, in his early 40s and wearing the black robe of an advocate, was outside the court when he was dragged away by the attackers. They thought he was the lawyer for Das, who had been charged with sedition by Bangladesh's caretaker government.
Alif was stabbed and brutally killed.
At the time, about 2,000 ISKCON followers were protesting outside the court, and a group of Jamaat-e-Islami supporters was also present. After the court denied Das bail, violence erupted.
The killing of Alif led to confusion, with some people falsely claiming on social media that it was ISKCON followers who were responsible for his death. Some Bangladeshi media outlets also misreported the incident as an act of violence by ISKCON members.
The Bangladesh police have not yet made any arrests in connection with Alif's death. The government has ordered an investigation, but no progress has been reported. Meanwhile, lawyers in Chittagong went on strike, suspending all legal activities.
Das was arrested at Dhaka's airport on Monday while traveling to Chittagong. He faces charges for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag during a rally he led in October.
Das, an outspoken religious leader, has been advocating for the rights of Hindus in Bangladesh and protesting against attacks on the Hindu community, especially since the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.
India has condemned Das's arrest, issuing a strong statement in response.
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