Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 13 (ANI): Police in Bangladesh have arrested a young Hindu man, Hari Das Taroni, on money laundering charges.
Manindra Kumar Nath, general secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council, confirmed the arrest.
“I just spoke on the phone with the Police Superintendent of Gaibandha. The police superintendent told me that Hari Das, the youth, has been arrested. I had asked him what the charge was, and then the SP said that he was arrested on money laundering charges, and that he was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Bangladesh Police from the Uttara area of Dhaka,” Nath told ANI.
“I strongly condemn this arrest. I believe that, instead of arresting the youth, they should have arrested the extremists,” he added.
Hari Das had begun construction of an 81-foot-tall statue of Lord Ram in Bangladesh’s northern Gaibandha district.
The arrest follows widespread demonstrations by members of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority last month over the reported desecration of an image of Lord Ram during an Islamist demonstration in Gaibandha district.
On June 23, India urged Bangladesh to take decisive action against radical Islamist groups and ensure the protection of minority communities.
Addressing the issue during a media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed India’s concern over reports of attacks on religious institutions and symbols.
“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 said.
Meanwhile, a coordination meeting was held Sunday at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) headquarters to review security, law enforcement, and traffic management arrangements for the upcoming Rath Yatra, one of the Hindu community’s major religious festivals.
The meeting was chaired by DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed.
Officials reviewed security measures for the Rath Yatra on July 16 and the Ulto Rath Yatra on July 24.
According to a DMP press release issued Sunday, authorities will deploy adequate police personnel, including picket units, patrol teams, CCTV monitoring, foot patrols, rooftop security teams, motorcycle patrols, Detective Branch personnel, plainclothes intelligence officers, SWAT teams, bomb disposal units, and traffic police.
The meeting concluded with a unanimous decision to ensure that the Rath Yatra proceeds along designated routes and concludes within the scheduled time frame. (ANI)
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