Hriday Mondal: Run judicial enquiry into the incident

Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee has demanded formation of a judicial probe committee to investigate the filing of a case against teacher Hriday Chandra Mondal over hurting religious sentiment, his subsequent arrest and denial of bail on two occasions.

The committee also demanded the government ensure the teacher's safety and take initiatives to enact "Minority Protection Act" and immediately constitute a National Minorities Commission with judicial powers.

The demands were raised at a views-exchange meeting at the Munshiganj Circuit House auditorium yesterday morning.

Speaking at the meeting, Shahriar Kabir, president of the committee, said a judicial probe should be carried out into the incident involving Hriday, maths teacher of Binodpur Ramkumar High School in Munshiganj Sadar upazila.

"We have no confidence in the departmental investigation. All related incidents need to be judicially investigated. I am going to file a writ petition with the High Court in this regard," he said.

Former Supreme Court judge Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, also the president of South Asian People's Conference Against Radicalism and Communalism, said Hriday would not have been arrested if the magistrate had not taken the case into cognisance.

"The district superintendent of police cannot avoid the responsibility for this incident. The SP of course is responsible and he has to answer. The sub-inspector should also be held accountable."

Local lawmaker (Munshiganj-3) Mrinal Kanti Das said, "As a member of parliament, I apologise to Hriday Chandra Mondal. I have failed to maintain communal harmony in the area. I have failed to resist the instigators of communal unrest."

Asad Miah, office assistant of Binodpur Ramkumar High School, filed the case against Hriday on March 22 over "demeaning religion". The case was lodged hours after police detained the teacher.

His bail petitions were denied twice on March 23 and 28 before he was released on bail on April 10.