Bangladesh cartoonist detained for disrespecting Prophet Muhammad

Bangladesh security forces have detained a little known cartoonist, Arifur Rahman, for sketching a carton that hurt religious sentiment of the Muslims, and prompted sudden demonstration by the Islamist in the capital.

By Nazrul Islam

Dhaka, Sept 18 : Bangladesh security forces have detained a little known cartoonist, Arifur Rahman, for sketching a carton that hurt religious sentiment of the Muslims, and prompted sudden demonstration by the Islamist in the capital.

The interim administration also ordered confiscation of the weekly caricature magazine, published by the widely circulated Prothom Alo newspaper that ran the cartoon disrespecting Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam, on Monday, fearing further anger among the communities.

The cartoonist was arrested from his Uttara residence on Tuesday and handed over to Tejgaon police station. He is expected to be produced before the court on Wednesday, said a police officer.

"We arrested him under section 54 code of criminal procedure and would be produced before the court on Wednesday," the duty officer of Tejgaon police station said.

A handout issued by the press information department said, "The government has confiscated the issue, as the cartoon hurts the religious sentiment of the people."

The newspaper authorities, however, on its front page published a box item, seeking apology from the people for the "unfortunate publication". They also announced that all the copies of the cartoon magazine were withdrawn from the market. The cartoon titled "namm" (name) ridiculed the prophet adding his name (Muhammad) before an animal.

Protesting the carton, few Islamist organisations chanted slogans against the newspaper and burnt its copies in front of the national mosque in Dhaka on Monday. They asked the newspaper authorities to seek unconditional apology and shutting publication of it.

Bangladesh's information adviser, Mainul Hosein, told the media that a section of conspirators wanted to create chaos in the country by publishing such cartoons. He told this after a meeting with representatives from Islamists.

The khatib if the national Baitul Mukkarram Mosque, Obaidul Haque, at the meeting demanded cancellation of declaration of the Prothom Alo and arrest of its editor before the coming Friday, the day for Muslims weekly congregation at the mosque.

"We are concerned over the issue," Mainul said urging all concerned to remain alert against the plot so that the conspirators cannot make it a success.

The Islamists also demanded exemplary punishment of the cartoonist for publishing the cartoon 'hurting the religious sentiment of the people'.

Cartoonist Arifur Rahman sketched a cartoon story titled 'Naam' on the sixth page of the 431st issue of Alpin, a weekly supplement of Bangla daily Prothom Alo that hit the stands on Monday.

ANI