Jagannath University student held for 'derogatory remarks about religion' on Facebook

A student of Jagannath University has been arrested from Dhaka under the ICT Act on charges of making derogatory remarks about religion on Facebook.

Police on Thursday night arrested Forhad Hossain Fahad in Khulna, according to Kotwali Police Station OC Moshiur Rahman, told bdnews24.com on Friday.

However, Fahad, a second-year student of Bangla Department, claimed the comment for which he has been arrested is not his. “It has been done by opening a fake ID in my name just to get me in serious trouble," he added.

Last week, a screenshot of the comment was shared on a private TV station's Facebook page, prompting a religion-based student organisation to protest. Two leaders of ruling Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chattra League also joined the protest.

Nur-e-Alam, a BCL leader, had started the case against Forhad under the ICT Act. 

Another BCL leader, Mizanuzzaman Khan, wrote to the university administration to expel Fahad permanently from the university.

The university authorities on Thursday wrote to the Kotwali Police Station to arrest Fahad, according to Proctor Noor Muhammad.

"We have sent a letter to the police to arrest him. Now we are thinking about taking academic action. We will sit again on this issue," he told bdnews24.com.

Before the case, Fahad told bdnews24.com, "I felt insecure. I had been receiving death threats from unknown callers.”

On being asked why the university authorities asked police to arrest Forhad even after he refuted the allegation, the proctor said, "We are certain that these comments were made by him. We asked police to arrest him because he carried out anti-Islamic activities. "