Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called for the release of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who has been arrested in Bangladesh in a sedition case, NDTV reported.

Hasina also sought punishment for the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam, who was killed during clashes in the Chittagong city between the police and Hindus protesting Das’ arrest.

“A top leader of Sanatan religious community has been unjustly arrested, he must be released immediately,” Hasina said. “A temple has been burnt in Chittagong. Previously, mosques, shrines, churches, monasteries and homes of the Ahmadiyya community were attacked, vandalised and looted and set on fire.”

The Awami League leader urged the Bangladesh government to ensure religious freedom and sanctity of life of all communities, according to NDTV.

Das is the spokesperson of Sammilita Sanatani Jote, an organisation that advocates for the rights of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. He was arrested for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally held on October 25 in Chittagong.

Hasina resigned as Bangladesh’s prime minister and fled to India on August 5 amid protests against her government. Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus took over as the head of an interim government on August 8.

India’s statements

On Tuesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had said it was deeply concerned about Das having been arrested and denied bail in Bangladesh. It added that the arrest had come after “multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh”.

However, the Bangladesh government said that the events surrounding Das’ arrest had been misconstrued. It said that all citizens of Bangladesh were free to practice their religion, and that protecting minorities was the government’s duty.

On Thursday, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha that there had been several incidents of desecration and damage to Hindu temples in Bangladesh in the past few months.

Singh listed in particular an attack on a Hindu place of worship in Dhaka’s Tantibazar area and the theft of the crown of Hindu deity Kali from the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in the Satkhira city during the Durga Puja festival this year.

The minister of state noted that the primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all Bangladeshi citizens, including minorites, rested with the country’s government.