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Haridas Chandra Tarani Das, who recently drew attention for proposing an 81-foot Ram statue in Palashbari of Gaibandha, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in a money laundering case.
He was detained around 12:30am on Monday from the Shri Shri Kali Temple area in Palashbari as an accused in a case filed with Uttara West Police Station in Dhaka.
Law enforcement personnel reportedly called him outside the temple premises before taking him into custody and transporting him to Dhaka.
No untoward incident was reported during the arrest. Additional police were deployed in the area to maintain law and order. Officials said he would be produced before a court for further legal proceedings.
Haridas came into the spotlight after announcing plans to construct an 81-foot Ram statue in Palashbari, which sparked debate in various quarters.
Amid the controversy, the Shri Shri Radha Gobinda and Kali Temple Committee suspended the project in June.
Temple authorities said the decision was taken voluntarily to maintain communal harmony and respect the sentiments of people of all faiths, and not due to pressure from the administration, political groups or any other party.