One arrested in Barishal over allegedly defamatory FB post

Police have arrested a 24-year-old in Barishal's Bakerganj upazila for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on Facebook today.

The arrestee, Sourav Dutta, is a resident of Bejaj village of Kalashkathi union in Bakerganj.

Claiming innocence, Sourav said a fake account was created using his name, adding that he had already filed a general diary (GD) or complaint at Bakerganj Police Station after finding out about the matter.

Md Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bakerganj Police Station, confirmed that the post had been made from a Facebook account named "Sourav Leo".

"Kawsar Hossain from Kalashkathi had filed the case against Sourav. Investigation is underway to verify the claims," he added.

Mizanur Rahman, the imam of the Kalashkathi Degree College Jame Mosque, said he was speaking to Sourav at the time when another post was made from the Facebook account in question, leading him to believe that the account did not belong to Sourav.

Despite this, rising tensions had prompted police to bring Sourav to the station for safety.

A group of locals staged a demonstration outside the police station, demanding that Sourav be handed over to them.

Authorities later brought Sourav to court in Barishal city.

Today, protesters blocked the Barishal-Kuakata highway, demanding punishment for Sourav and the suspension of police officials involved.

However, the blockade was later lifted following assurance from Bakerganj Police Station.