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Killing of Saiful Islam Alif

ONGOING2024Chittagong Court, Chittagong, Bangladesh3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:Religious Advisor Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain Visits Grave of Shaheed Saiful Islam Alif Lohagara November 29 2024 (PID-0004910).jpg
File:Religious Advisor Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain Visits Grave of Shaheed Saiful Islam Alif Lohagara November 29 2024 (PID-0004910).jpg — Credit: Press Information Department · Public domain

On 26 November 2024, Saiful Islam Alif, a lawyer practising at the Chittagong Court in Bangladesh, was fatally attacked during unrest after Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das was denied bail and ordered jailed in a separate sedition case. Protesters outside the court blocked a police vehicle and clashed with police, who used batons, tear gas, and sound grenades. Property in and around the court complex was damaged.

During the unrest, assailants attacked Alif near the Rangam Convention Hall. Local residents took him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Other people, including journalists, were injured during the clashes.

The killing drew public condemnation and demands for an investigation. Petitions asking the Bangladesh Supreme Court to ban ISKCON were rejected. ISKCON Bangladesh denied that the organisation was involved in Alif’s death.

Police initially arrested seven people after reviewing video footage. Alif’s father filed a murder case naming 31 people and additional unidentified suspects, and further arrests followed. Police later submitted a charge sheet against 39 people.

The case also generated misinformation. Some reports incorrectly described Alif as Chinmoy Das’s lawyer or said that police had shot him; later reporting corrected those claims.

In January 2026, the Chattogram Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal framed charges against 39 defendants, including Chinmoy Krishna Das. Testimony began on 2 February 2026. The defendants remain accused, and no verdict has been reported.

Key facts

Victims
Saiful Islam Alif
Date
2024
Location
Chittagong Court, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Case status
ongoing

Case timeline

  1. 2024-11-25

    Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, is arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on sedition charges.

  2. 2024-11-26

    Das is denied bail at Chittagong Court; protests by his followers turn violent, and lawyer Saiful Islam Alif is fatally attacked with sharp weapons; he dies at Chattogram Medical College Hospital around 4:00 p.m. from blunt force trauma.

  3. 2024-11-27

    Chittagong District Bar Association begins a strike protesting the murder, continuing into 28 November.

  4. 2024-11-28

    ISKCON holds a news conference denying involvement in Alif's murder.

  5. 2024-11-29

    Alif's father files a murder case at Kotwali Police Station naming 31 individuals and 10-15 unidentified persons.

  6. 2024-12-04

    Police arrest Chandan Das, described as the prime accused, in Bhairab, Kishoreganj.

  7. 2025-04-10

    Court denies bail for 11 accused in the murder case.

Best coverage

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People

  • Monu Methor

    CHARGED

    Arrested by police in connection with the killing following analysis of video footage.

  • Chandan Das

    CHARGED

    Described as the prime accused in the murder case; arrested on 4 December 2024 in Bhairab, Kishoreganj.

  • Gagan Das

    CHARGED

    Arrested by police in connection with the killing following analysis of video footage.

  • Bishal Das

    CHARGED

    Arrested by police in connection with the killing following analysis of video footage.

  • Nayan Das

    CHARGED

    Arrested by police in connection with the killing following analysis of video footage.

  • Saiful Islam Alif

    VICTIM

    Lawyer practicing at Chittagong Court, fatally attacked during protests on 26 November 2024.

  • Sumit Das

    CHARGED

    Arrested by police in connection with the killing following analysis of video footage.

  • Aman Das

    CHARGED

    Arrested by police in connection with the killing following analysis of video footage.

  • Rumit Das

    CHARGED

    Arrested by police in connection with the killing following analysis of video footage.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:Religious Advisor Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain Visits Grave of Shaheed Saiful Islam Alif Lohagara November 29 2024 (PID-0004910).jpg

    archival location

    File:Religious Advisor Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain Visits Grave of Shaheed Saiful Islam Alif Lohagara November 29 2024 (PID-0004910).jpg

    Credit: Press Information Department · Public domain · Source

Places

Chittagong Court, Chittagong, Bangladesh

22.3569, 91.7832

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Saiful Islam Alif, a lawyer in Chittagong, Bangladesh, was fatally attacked on 26 November 2024 during unrest after Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das was denied bail in a separate sedition case. A court framed murder-related charges against 39 defendants in January 2026, and testimony began the following month; no verdict has been reported.
Where did the killing happen?
Chittagong Court, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: ongoing.
More cases in Bangladesh

Sources

  1. PRESSTestimony begins in lawyer Alif murder caseThe Business Standard · 2026-07-11
  2. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Saiful Islam AlifWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage of the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam AlifBBC News · 2026-07-10