Mass protest at JU over Saiful’s murder; ban on ISKCON demanded

Jahangirnagar University (JU) students staged a series of protests condemning the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in Chittagong, demanding justice and accountability.

On Wednesday, an absentee funeral and doa mahfil were held at the Shahid Minar premises. Later in the afternoon, students staged a mourning procession, wearing red cloths over their faces, to express their grief and demand justice.

Earlier on Tuesday night, a protest march and rally drew several hundred participants.

The absentee funeral, organized by the 'Adhipotyobad Birodhi Mancha,' was held at noon in the Shahid Minar premises.

During the event, forum spokesperson Shahariar Anjum expressed grief over the murder, stating, "We are deeply shocked by this incident. The neighboring hegemonic power, India, aims to integrate Bangladesh into 'Akhand Bharat' through its Hindutva political agenda. They are attempting to undermine Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty. I urge the government to ensure that extremist Hindutva organizations like ISKCON cannot gain a foothold in Bangladesh again."

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, JU branch, held a prayer meeting at the central mosque after the Asr prayers. Following this, students wearing red clothes over their faces staged a mourning procession from the central mosque to the university's Shahid Minar.

On Tuesday night, hundreds of students staged a protest condemning the alleged attack in the Chattogram court area and the death of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif. The demonstration started around 8:30 PM at Bot-tola and continued across the campus, culminating in a rally at the Shahid Minar. Protesters demanded an immediate investigation into the incident and called for a ban on ISKCON in Bangladesh, accusing the organization of promoting Hindutva extremism.

Nazrul Islam Naim, a student of the Department of Government and Politics, told The Financial Express, "Communal riots have been incited in the country recently, fueled by domestic and foreign conspiracies. ISKCON members attacked the Chittagong court premises, resulting in the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam by Hindutva extremists. We demand justice."

"Hinduism and Hindutva are not the same—Hindutva is an aggressive political project endangering the subcontinent. The government must prevent such conspiracies and hold the perpetrators accountable", he added.

The protesters urged the nation to resist any actions influenced by native or foreign provocations and to uphold peace and harmony among all communities, preserving the unity that defines Bangladesh.

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