Kamrul Hasan: Baul singer Abul Sorkar has been arrested by police on allegations of making disparaging remarks about religion during a Bichar Gaan performance in Manikganj.

In the early hours of Thursday (20 November), detectives from the Manikganj District Detective Branch (DB) detained him from a musical event venue in Madaripur. He was later produced before the court, where the judge ordered that he be sent to jail. Abul Sorkar is a resident of Tilli Union in Saturia upazila of Manikganj.

Quoting the case filed at Ghior Police Station, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime & Ops) Md. Abdullah Al Mamun said, “Baul Abul Sorkar has been arrested in connection with a case filed in Ghior over allegations of religious slander. DB police detained him from Madaripur early in the morning and brought him to Manikganj.”

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ghior Police Station Kohinur Mia said that the case was filed by Mufti Mohammad Abdullah, a resident of Kusta village in Ghior Sadar Union. “After being produced before the court, the judge ordered him to be sent to jail following the hearing,” the OC added.

Demanding speedy trial, various social and religious organizations staged protests and formed human chains on Thursday morning in front of the Manikganj court premises. Speakers urged authorities to take strict legal action against statements that hurt religious sentiments.

On 4 November, a video went viral on social media showing Baul Abul Sorkar allegedly making offensive comments about religion during a Bichar Gaan session at the annual urs and fair of "Khala Pagli" held in Jhabra Bazar of Baniajuri Union under Ghior upazila. The incident triggered widespread public outrage and led to the filing of a case on charges of religious defamation.