A lawyer was allegedly killed on Tuesday in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong following clashes over the arrest of ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das by authorities, lawyers said.

"Lawyer Saiful Islam Alif has been murdered in Chittagong," Chittagong Bar Association President Nazim Uddin Chowdhury told ANI over phone.

However, the motive behind the murder was not yet clear, he said.

Lawyer murdered in Bangladesh

Chittagong Bar Association General Secretary Ashraf Hossain Razzaq said, "Saiful Islam Arif was brutally murdered." "The Chittagong Bar Association has decided to suspend court activities on Wednesday to protest the killing of its member," Razzaq said.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are on high alert amid tension in Chittagong. Bangladesh has deployed additional security forces in Chittagong and the capital Dhaka. Thousands of people have gathered at the court premises in Chittagong demanding the release of Hindu priest Chinmoy Brahmachari.

Protest going on against the arrest of Chinmay Brahmachari

Protesters blocked the prison van after the court rejected his bail plea and ordered him to be sent to jail. Police and other law enforcement agencies fired tear shells and sound grenades to drive them out. Eyewitnesses said Chinmaya Brahmachari was taken to jail after a two-hour clash.

A minority leader said, a sedition case has been filed against Chimnoy accusing him of hoisting the flag above the national flag of Bangladesh. But the person who filed the case is no longer associated with the case. He is no longer willing to continue the case.

Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), the largest minority group in Bangladesh, on Tuesday expressed concern over the arrest of Chinmoy Brahmachari. The group condemned the atrocities and demanded his immediate release from the interim government.

Kumar Nath condemned the arrest of Chinmay Das

"We strongly condemn the arrest of Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jot spokesperson Prabhu Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari from the Dhaka airport area on Monday afternoon," BHBCUC acting general secretary Manindra Kumar Nath said.

As a result of this arrest, Bangladesh's international image in terms of freedom of expression and human rights will be harmed, he told ANI. Nath said Hindu saint Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari is organising the Hindu community to put forth "8-point demands" for minorities.

Protests happening in Bangladesh

Soon after the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das by Bangladeshi authorities at the Dhaka airport, members of the minority community staged protests across Bangladesh, including in the capital Dhaka. Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the interim Bangladesh government, condemned the killing of a lawyer in the port city of Chittagong.

He has also ordered an investigation into the murder and appropriate legal action. He has urged people to remain calm and refrain from participating in any untoward activity. He has also ordered law enforcement agencies to increase security in the port city, including all sensitive areas.

The interim government is committed to ensuring and maintaining communal harmony in Bangladesh at any cost, Yunus said in a statement.