Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was surprised and appalled after learning that an UNO was arrested for distributing invitation cards with a portrait of the Father of the Nation made by a fifth grader, her Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam told BBC Bangla service yesterday.

Officials at the Prime Minister's Office were surprised to see the news yesterday and brought the matter to the PM's attention, HT Imam said.

The prime minister was delighted to see the portrait made by a class-V student. “This officer has done a good job by arranging a painting competition among class-V students … No distortion [of Bangabandhu's image] was made here. It deserves an award. The officer deserves an award,” he quoted the PM as saying. 

“In return, we did this. It is condemnable,” he quoted the PM as saying.

Tariq Salman, the UNO of Barguna Sadar, was arrested by police on Wednesday after Obaidullah Saju, the religious affairs secretary of Barisal Awami League, filed a Tk 5 crore case in June in connection with distorting the image of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The court on Wednesday granted him bail.