Mehedi sent to jail over burning of Tafhimul Quran

A Dhaka court on Friday sent Mehedi Hasan to jail in a case filed over the alleged burning of three volumes of Tafhimul Quran on the Dhaka University campus.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Albiruni Mir passed the order on July 10. Neither the defence filed a bail petition nor did police seek to question the accused on remand during the hearing.

The court also directed police to submit the investigation report by August 17.
Sub-Inspector Shah Alam of the prosecution division confirmed the court order.

According to court sources, Shahbagh Police Station Sub-Inspector Nazmul Hasan, the investigating officer in the case, produced Mehedi before the court and requested that he remain in custody until the investigation was completed.

Mehedi was not brought inside the courtroom during the proceedings.

According to the case statement, Mehedi allegedly set fire to three volumes of Tafhimul Quran, written by Syed Abul A’la Maududi, near the western side of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University at around 1:00 am on Thursday, July 9.

The incident allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.
People present at the scene detained Mehedi and later handed him over to police after officers from the Nilkhet Police Outpost arrived.

Police said Mehedi suffered minor injuries after being assaulted by members of the public. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he received primary treatment.

Following the incident, Sub-Inspector Kamal Uddin Mia of the Nilkhet Police Outpost filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station under Section 295A of the Penal Code.

The investigating officer told the court that keeping the accused in custody was necessary for a proper investigation. Police may seek his remand later if required, he added.