Police have petitioned a Dhaka court to keep North South University student Apurbo Pal in jail following his arrest on charges of desecrating the Holy Quran.
The investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Chand Mia of Vatara Police Station, submitted the remand opposition and custody request to the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saifuzzaman’s Court on Sunday. Prosecutor SI Zakir Hossain confirmed that a hearing on the plea will be held soon.
In the police petition, investigators said, “Evidence indicates that the accused was directly involved in the act of desecrating the Quran. During interrogation, Apurbo Pal confessed to bringing a copy of the Holy Quran in his hand, dropping it onto the floor in front of others, and stepping on it — thereby insulting the religious beliefs of Muslims and hurting their sentiments.”
Police added that the investigation is ongoing and that further remand might be required for interrogation. The petition also warned that if Apurbo were released on bail, there is a strong possibility he could flee and avoid prosecution.
The incident came to public attention Saturday night after several videos circulated on Facebook, allegedly showing the student desecrating the Quran. The videos sparked outrage online, with many users demanding his immediate arrest. Around 1:00 am, an angry crowd began gathering outside Apurbo’s residence.
Responding to the situation, Vatara police rushed to the scene and attempted to take him into custody. Initially, officers sought the crowd’s cooperation, and locals reportedly agreed to help. However, as police tried to escort Apurbo away, the crowd became violent, attacking both the student and police officers.
When the situation escalated, additional police personnel were deployed to control the mob. Around 2:45 am, officers successfully took Apurbo into custody.
Vatara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Rakibul Hasan said, “After verifying his Facebook account, we found evidence of the Quran desecration video. But while attempting to detain him, we faced resistance from an agitated crowd.”
Apurbo, who lived with his family, was reportedly residing safely with them before his arrest. His family members have not been harmed, police confirmed.
According to Asif Bin Ali, a lecturer in the Department of Media, Communication, and Journalism at North South University, Apurbo had already been expelled from the department prior to this incident.
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