Minority community members staged a protest outside the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday against the arrest of Haridas Chandra Tarani Das, a Hindu man who was taken into custody on money laundering charges. The demonstration was organised by the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council, whose leaders alleged that the case was linked to his efforts to construct an 81-foot statue of Lord Ram in Gaibandha district.

Protesters demanded Das’s immediate release and accused the authorities of targeting minority communities. The arrest has drawn criticism from minority organisations, which also raised concerns over attacks on religious institutions and the treatment of non-Muslim communities in Bangladesh.

Minority Leaders Condemn Arrest

Speaking to ANI, Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council General Secretary Manindra Kumar Nath criticised the arrest and questioned the action taken against Das.

“Today, Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Krishnalok Tabarishad organised a demonstration against the arrest of Haridas Chandra Tarani Das. Haridas Chandra Tarani Das was arrested by the government some two or three days ago over the claim that he built a Ram Chandra Devata, Ram Chandra statue in Palashbari. In that case, we cannot accept this sort of arrest of Taroni Das,” Nath said.

Nath also alleged that members of minority communities had faced repeated incidents of violence and intimidation over the past two years.

He claimed that around 3,000 incidents had occurred across Bangladesh over the past year, including 66 killings and attacks on temples, and described the situation as unacceptable.

Calls for Government Action

According to the organisers, a local court remanded Das to prison after his arrest on money laundering charges.

The protest followed demonstrations held last month over the reported desecration of an image of Lord Ram during an Islamist protest in Gaibandha district.

Addressing the gathering, senior Unity Council leader Subrata Chowdhury called on the interim administration to identify those responsible for actions that, he said, were undermining communal harmony.

“A beautiful environment has been created, an environment of harmony has been established. In such a situation, who are they who have caused this kind of incident to embarrass this government? We want to give an ultimatum to the government to take proper action against this,” Chowdhury said.

He also demanded Das’s immediate release and warned that minority communities would launch a larger protest movement if action was not taken.

“The person who has been imprisoned must be released immediately. If he is not released, the Sanatan (Hindu) community, the Buddhist community, and the Christian community of Bangladesh will build a united movement on the streets in the coming days,” Chowdhury said.

Chowdhury further questioned the circumstances surrounding the arrest and urged the government to identify those responsible for ordering the police action.

India Previously Raised Concerns

The developments come after India, on June 23, urged Bangladesh to take action against extremist groups and ensure the safety of minority communities.

During a media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had taken note of reports concerning the desecration of Hindu deities and related protests in Bangladesh.

“We have seen reports from Bangladesh regarding acts of desecration involving Hindu deities and their images, which have sparked protests. We expect the Bangladeshi government to curb the extremists there and guarantee the safety of the minority community,” Jaiswal had said.

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