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Published : 03 Mar 2023, 12:41 AM
A tribunal has sentenced Md Iqbal Hossain, the man accused of inciting deadly violence in 2021 by placing a copy of the Quran at a Puja venue in Cumilla.
Judge AM Zulfiker Hayat of Dhaka’s Cyber Tribunal sentenced him to one year and four months, or the period Iqbal has spent in prison, after he pleaded guilty on Thursday.
Shamim Al Mamun, a clerk at the tribunal, said five people, including plaintiff Rajib Hossain, a sub-inspector of Tongi East Police Station, testified before the judge.
As Iqbal had no lawyer for him, the judge asked him whether he would quiz the witnesses.
“What shall I ask them, sir? I feel remorse for what I’ve done. I will never commit any crimes again,” Iqbal said, according to Mamun.
The judge had earlier sentenced Rokon Mia, another accused, to jail for the period he had been in prison.
Police recovered a copy of the Quran from the Puja venue at Nanuar Dighir Par on Oct 13, 2021. As a video of the incident spread on Facebook, Hindus in several districts came under attack. At least seven people died in the violence.
Rokon wrote a provocative Facebook post five days after the incident as police identified and arrested Iqbal by analysing CCTV footage.
Police started a case against Rokon under the Digital Security Act for hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Iqbal was also charged in court in the case.
