Pro-Hefajat speaker lands in jail for ‘anti- state’ speech
A Gazipur court yesterday sent Rafiqul Islam, 27, popularly known as "Shishu Bokta", to jail after he was sued under the Digital Security Act for delivering "anti-state and provocative" speeches.
Gazipur Senior Judicial Magistrate Shariful Islam sent Rafiqul to jail after he was produced before his court.
Rab Nayek Subedar Mohammad Abdul Khaleque filed a case with Gachha Police Station in Gazipur against the Islamic preacher, hours after he was arrested from his house in Purbadhola area of Netrakona, said Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Iltut Mish.
An official of Gachha Police Station said that the case under DSA was lodged as Rafiqul tried to create chaos in the country and destabilise the society by making irresponsible statements and spreading it through social media.
Rab handed Rafiqul over to the police yesterday morning.
On April 3, Rafiqul appeared on Facebook and spoke in support of Hefajat-e-Islami leader Mamunul Haque, following an incident at a resort in Narayanganj's Sonargaon.
Rafiqul is also the director of Saoatul Hera Madrasha at Paschim Bilashpur in Netrakona district and assistant vice president of Jubo Jamiat, a wing of Jamiat-e-Ulama-Islam, of Netrakona.
Earlier on March 25, police detained Rafiqul from the capital's Motijheel area during a demonstration, protesting the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence.
He was later released.
Another case was filed against Rafiqul under the DSA with Motijheel Police Station yesterday, confirmed Yasin Arafat Khan, officer-in-charge of the police station.
Introducing him as a "conscious" citizen, a BCL leader Syed Adnan Shantu filed the case under sections 27, 28, 29, 31, and 35, alleging that Rafiqul has given provocative and anti-state speech against the prime minister, the president, and also against the administration and system of the country, through Youtube.
Later Rafiqul's speech was shared by some Facebook profiles and pages. Syed Adnan mentioned that those "likes and comments" under the shared posts are also "anti-government and anti-state."
He attached eight pages of screenshots with the case statement.
On Wednesday night, there was a rumour on social media that Hefajat-e-Islam Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque could be arrested any time as he, along with 700 named and unnamed Hefajat men, were sued over vandalising a resort and attacking police in Narayanganj's Sonargaon on April 3.
Meanwhile, Delwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Dharmapasha Police Station, was withdrawn and attached to police lines on Wednesday night, said Sujan Chandra Sarkar, assistant superintendent of Sunamganj police (Dharmapasha circle).
The OC was accused of harassing a Dhaka University BCL leader in Sunamganj, he added.
The BCL leader, Afzal Khan, international affairs deputy-secretary of DU unit, filed a case with Dharmapasha Police Station, accusing 29 named and 20-25 unnamed persons, reports our Sylhet correspondent.
On March 29, Afzal gave a post on his Facebook, criticising Hefajat-e-Islam for their recent vandalism all over the country.
After he posted on Facebook, Al Mujahid, son of local AL leader Abul Hashem Alam, gathered a mob and harassed Afzal at Jayasree Bazar.
Afzal was later confined into the union AL office in presence of the AL leaders.
Police reached there after two hours and handcuffed the BCL leader. They forced him to apologise to the crowd gathered there.
Following the incident, police also arrested AL Jayasree Union unit's General Secretary Abul Hashem Alam in connection with the harassment.
Alam was suspended from AL in an emergency meeting called by the upazila Awami League unit on Wednesday.