A sedition case has been filed against 19 individuals, including two from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), for allegedly hoisting a saffron flag over Bangladesh’s national flag at New Market intersection in Chattogram on October 25.
The case was filed on Wednesday night by Md Feroze Khan under sedition law at Kotwali police station, said CMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Kazi Md Tarek Aziz.
Police have detained two individuals, Rajesh Chowdhury and Hriday Das, in the case.
The 19 accused are Chandan Kumar Dhar alias Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, 38, Iskcon’s Chattogram divisional organising secretary, Ajay Dutta, 34, coordinator of Hindu Jagran Manch’s Chittagong's, Leela Raj Das Brahmachari, 48, principal of the Prabartak Iskcon temple in the city, Gopal Das Tipu, 38, Dr Kathak Das, 40, Amit Dhar, 38, Roni Das, 38, Rajib Das, 32, Krishna Kumar Dutta, 52, Jiku Chowdhury, 40, Newton Dey, 38, Tushar Chakraborty Rajib, 28, Mithun Dey, 35, Rupan Dhar, 35, Rimon Dutta, 28, Sukanta Das, 28, Biswajit Gupta, 42, Rajesh Chowdhury, 28, and Hriday Das, 25.
Additionally, 15-20 unidentified individuals are included as accused in the case.
According to the case statement, during a rally at Laldighi Maidan, a religious flag associated with Iskcon was reportedly placed over the national flag.
The case statement alleges that this act constituted a “desecration” and “contempt for the country’s sovereignty,” saying the accused engaged in “treasonous activities to destabilize the country by fostering an anarchic environment.”
A photo of the flags recently went viral on social media and drew criticism, prompting its subsequent removal.
According to Bangladesh Flag Rules-1972, no other flag or coloured flag can be hoisted atop the national flag. But breaching the rule, the saffron flag was hoisted above the national flag.
