UNB, Ctg:

Police have detained two youths who were in a group that rendered songs, including one having Islamic theme, at JM Sen Hall Puja mandap on Thursday evening.

Kazi Md Tarek Aziz, additional deputy commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), shared this at a press conference at the media centre of the CMP on Friday morning.

The detainees are Shahidul Karim, 42, a teacher of Tanzimul Ummah Madrasa, and Md Nurul Islam, a teacher of Darul Irfan Academy.

The filing of a case in this regard was underway, he said.

Chattogram City Puja Celebration Committee’s Joint General Secretary Sajal Dutta had earlier requested Chattogram Cultural Academy to perform songs on the stage on Thursday night, he said.

As per the request, six members of the academy performed two songs and one of the songs hurt religious sentiments of the Hindu community, the ADC said.

Police are still looking for other members of the group. They are Abdullah Iqbal (30), Rony (28), Golam Mostafa (27) and Mamun (36).

They sang ‘Shudhu Muslims er Lagi Aseniko Islam’ and Shah Abdul Karim’s famous song ‘Agee Ki Sundar Din Kataitam’.

A video of the incident went viral on social media, with some claiming that the offenders were Shibir members, although the identities of the youths have yet to be confirmed.

Rumour Scanner, an independent Bangladeshi fact-checking website that debunks fake news, myths, and misinformation, confirmed that the viral video was real and unedited.

Being informed, Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanom rushed to the spot and said that the authorities would arrest six youths within 48 hours who took the stage at a puja mandap and sang two songs, including an Islamic one, claiming they would only sing a patriotic song.