Hindus In Bangladesh Rampage Stones At Officers Protesting The Arrest Of Krishna Das

UNSPLASH/Baudouin Wismelmann ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Police in Bangladesh use tear gas to dispel the mass of Hindus protesting the arrest of a Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.

Das was arrested from Dhaka airport on Monday on several charges, including sedition.

His arrest sparked protests from his supporters in the capital Dhaka and the city of Badminton.

Das faces sedition charges filed in October after leading a major rally in Badminton, in which he was accused of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag and his bail was rejected by a court in Badminton on Tuesday.

When Das was escorted back to prison from the court, more than 2,000 supporters surrounded the vehicle, blocking it for more than two hours, Metropolitan Police CommissionerHasib Aziz said.

"They went berserk, throwing stones at us. To disperse the crowd, we had to shoot tear gas. Nobody was seriously injured, but one of our policemen was injured," Aziz said.

Neighboring India condemned Das' arrest, and said the perpetrators of vandalism and arson against minority groups and those tarnishing the god were still at large.

"It is unfortunate, even though the perpetrators of this incident are still at large, demands must be filed against religious leaders who convey legitimate demands through peace meetings," the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.