Islamic songs at puja mandap: 2 singers get bail

A Chattogram court today granted bail to two accused in a case filed for hurting religious sentiment over singing an Islamic song at the Durga Puja mandap in the port city’s JM Sen Hall during Durga Puja recently.
The two accused — Shahidul Karim and Nurul Islam — are madrasa teachers by profession and members of the Chattogram Cultural Academy, which is believed to have affiliation with Jamaat-Shibir.
However, Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Chhatra Shibir denied any involvement with the organisation after the incident sparked massive outrage.
Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Shariful Islam granted their bail after a hearing on a bail plea, court sources said.
Earlier, on Sunday, both defense and prosecution lawyers engaged in a heated argument inside the courtroom before Metropolitan Magistrate Md Oliullah during the remand hearing of the two accused.
Following the incident, the magistrate left the courtroom without conducting the remand hearing.
AAM Humayun Kabir, deputy commissioner (Prosecution) of Chatttogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) told The Daily Star, “The court granted bail for the two accused until the police report is submitted in the case. The bail hearing was conducted without the presence of the accused.”
Six activists of the Chattogram Cultural Academy sang an Islamic song on the stage of a Puja Mandap in Chattogram city on Thursday, causing widespread outrage across the country.
Later, police and the six singers reported that they were invited by a leader of the Puja Udjapon Parishad, Sajal Dutta, to perform the songs.
Later, police arrested two for hurting the religious sentiments.
Another leader of the Puja committee filed a case on Friday accusing the six singers and Sajal Dutta of hurting religious sentiment.
Sajal Dutta, who was permanently expelled from the committee, has gone into hiding since the incident.