Digital Security Act: Arrested baul to be produced at court today

Shariat Sarkar

Baul singer Shariat Sarkar will be produced before a Tangail court today after a three-day remand, police said.

Mirzapur police arrested the 40-year-old folk singer on Saturday in a case filed under the Digital Security Act, charging him with hurting Muslim sentiment.

He was arrested in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka upazila.

Shariat, who studied up to class VI, is a resident of Jamurki area of Mirzapur upazila, police said.

Mohammad Faridul Islam filed the case with Mirzapur Police Station on January 9, accusing Shariat of making comments during a performance that hurt his “religious sentiment”.

Immediately after the arrest, police produced him before a judicial magistrate’s court in Tangail with a 10-day remand prayer. The court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Akramul Islam placed him on a 3-day remand, Court Inspector Tanvir Ahmed told The Daily Star.

“During interrogation, Shariat admitted that he had made a mistake,” said Saidur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the police station.

Someone filmed Shariat’s comments and showed it to people in the area causing an outrage, the OC added.