On Sunday (28th April), a Hindu businessman named Sanjoy Rakhit was arrested for supposedly ‘hurting’ the religious sentiments of the Muslim community by sharing a song about 18th-century Bengali mystic Lalon Fakir.
The incident took place in Shariatpur in the Dhaka Division of Bangladesh. Rakhit had posted on his Facebook account,” Sunnat e Khatna dile jodi hoye Musalman, tahole Nari jaatir ki hoy Bidhan (If circumcision is the way to become a Muslim for a man, then, what rule applies for women)“
The lines were taken from the song ‘Sab Loke Koy Lalan Ki Jaat Sansare (Everyone says what is the Faith of Lalon)’, written by popular Bengali folk singer Kartik Das Baul in 2016.
The 40-year-old Sanjoy Rakhit was arrested from his residence in Sariatpur on Sunday (28th April) afternoon under Section 54 of The Code of Criminal Procedure in Bangladesh, which allows for arrest without a warrant.
The Hindu man was thereafter charged for hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community on Facebook. Based on oral complaints by the Muslims, the police sent Rakhit to Sariatpur district jail.
Previously, a Muslim mob reached outside the house of the Hindu man and created a state of unrest.
#BreakingNews
— Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (@salah_shoaib) April 29, 2024
A #Hindu goldsmith named Sanjay Rakshit (40) has been arrested on April 28, 2024 in Bheforganj upazila under Shariatpur district in Bangladesh on blasphemy charges for the "crime" of posting few lines of a song of Lalon Fakir. Sanjay is the son of Hari Narayan… pic.twitter.com/pmTojpEy9J
While speaking about the matter, Officer-in-Charge of the Vedarganj Police station Mintu Mandal told Dhaka Post that a young man was arrested for insulting the rules of Islam.
SP (Shariatpur) Mahbubul Alam remarked, “To avoid any kind of chaos, we arrested the person and brought him to the police station and later he was sent to jail through the court under Section 54. There is still anger among people in the area. Policemen are keeping vigil to prevent any untoward situation.”
The Hindu businessman was produced before a local court on Monday (29th April), following which he was granted bail. In the meantime, several Bangladeshis have expressed support for Sanjoy Rakhit and asked the cops to arrest them for reiterating the lyrics of the Lalon song.
In March this year, OpIndia reported how Islamists are now eyeing to encroach upon the Kantajew temple and Chandranath Mandir in Bangladesh.
Lalon Fakir, popularly known as Lalon Shah, was a prominent Bengali Baul saint. He is considered one of the greatest spiritual and musical figures in the history of Bengal.
He composed numerous songs, known as Baul songs or Lalon Geeti, which are characterised by their spiritual depth, poetic beauty, and social commentary. His songs often explore themes of love, humanity, the search for truth, and the unity of all religions.
