Students and locals burnt the motorbikes of three teachers in Narail over a post on Facebook on behalf of Nupur Sharma, an Indian politician who made controversial comments about the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). Police fired tear gas shells to control the situation. A college student named Rahul Dev Opi has been arrested.
The incident took place in Mirzapur Adarsh College campus of Sadar Upazila on Saturday. At least 10 students and local residents, including a college teacher, and 2 policemen were injured.
In the incident, protesters burnt the motorcycles of Mirzapur College principal Swapan Kumar Biswas, teachers Prashant Kumar Roy and Ajit Kumar Biswas. Later, the situation calmed down when the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and other senior police officers went to the spot and assured appropriate punishment to the culprits.
Jiban Sheikh, a student of the first year humanities department of Mirzapur College, said that Rahul Dev Opi, a student of the same department, posted a picture of Nupur Sharma on his Facebook ID named Rahul Dev Roy two days ago. In which he wrote, "Pranam Neo Boss 'Nupur Sharma' Jai Shri Ram". The post asked him to delete it, but he did not do so. He came to the college on Saturday and reported the matter to the principal, but he could not take any satisfactory action. Due to this incident, 400 to 500 students and residents protested. At that time, the angry people set fire to three motorcycles in the college garage. Police from Bichali police outpost and police from Sadar police station could not bring the situation under control.
In this regard, President of Mirzapur Adarsh College Management Council and Sadar Upazila Awami League President Achin Chakraborty said that when the principal of the college informed me about the matter, I called the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police. They went to the spot and brought the matter under control.
Swapan Kumar Biswas, principal of Mirzapur College, was contacted in this regard but his phone was switched off.
Shaukat Kabir, OC of Sadar police station, said that the police fired several rounds of tear shells to control the situation. Two policemen's hands were cut slightly by brickbats. The case is being prepared in this case.
Narail Superintendent of Police Praveer Kumar Roy said that the youth who posted the status on Facebook has been arrested. Legal action is being taken against him. Additional police have been deployed in the area. Currently the situation in that area is under the control of the police.
Narail Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Habibur Rahman said that the MP of Narail-1 Constituency will come to Mirzapur area on Sunday and talk to the local people about this matter. Measures have been taken to prevent any untoward incident from happening in that area.
