Bangladeshi court denies bail to Hindu leader who led rallies for minority protection

Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A prominent Bangladeshi Hindu leader who has been leading rallies demanding security for Hindus in the overwhelmingly Muslim nation was ordered detained on charges of sedition. The magistrate court of Kazi Shariful Islam denied bail to Krishna Das Prabhu on Tuesday and ordered him detained pending further proceedings. Hindus and members of other minority groups say they have faced more attacks than ever since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid a mass uprising in August and an interim government took over. The government says the threat to Hindus has been exaggerated. As police attempted to transport Prabhu to jail, his supporters surrounded the van carrying him, forcing it to stop for over an hour before security officials fired teargas to disperse the crowd.