Hridoy Mondal acquitted
Hridoy Mondal, a Munshiganj schoolteacher whose harassment and arrest had sparked outrage across the country, has been acquitted in the case filed against him on charges of hurting religious sentiments.
Jashita Islam, senior judicial magistrate in Munshiganj, passed the order in writing yesterday.
The case was filed on March 22 with Munshiganj Sadar Police Station under sections 295 and 295 (A) of the CrPC, by Asad Mia, an office assistant (electrician) of the school.
Hridoy, an assistant teacher of Ramkumar High School in Munshiganj Sadar upazila, was arrested and sent to jail the same day. He was released on bail on April 10.
So far, he has had to appear in court five times in this case.
After being acquitted, he said, "I am very happy that I have been discharged from the case. No other teacher in this country should face such harassment. If such incidents do not stop, the future of the country is bleak. This felt like a five-month long storm for me. I was unable to even do home tutoring and the financial distress was piling up. I feel much better after the verdict."
Hridoy, however, said he had been facing threats from unknown quarters since his bail and a GD was lodged with the police station in this regard.
"I don't get out of my house unless it is absolutely urgent."
Shahin Mohammad Amanullah, a lawyer for Hridoy, said the final report in the case said the allegations against the teacher were false.
Plaintiff Asad Mia, who was present in the court during the verdict, said, "The judge asked me whether I have any further complaints. I said I did not. I too am happy that 'sir' has been discharged from the case."
On March 20, when Hridoy was taking a science class, a conversation began between him and his students about science and religion.
Some students later gave a written complaint to the headmaster saying the teacher had "hurt religious sentiments" and on March 22, they began a protest against him at school.
When police came to control the situation, they arrested Hridoy from the spot. The case was filed against him later in the day.
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