NSU student arrested, sent to jail after mob assault over ‘hurting religious sentiments’

A Dhaka court today (5 October) sent North South University (NSU) student Apurbo Pal to jail after his arrest in a case over offending religious sentiments, following a mob assault on him earlier in the day.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saifuzzaman issued the order after the investigating officer of the case produced Apurbo before the court and sought an order to keep him in jail. 

In their petition, police said evidence and witness statements indicate Apurbo's involvement in the act of Quran desecration. During interrogation, Apurbo admitted this, which they said insulted the faith of Muslims and hurt their religious sentiments.

Police may later seek remand for further questioning if necessary.

They mentioned in their petition that if the accused is released on bail, there is a risk he might abscond, making his stay in jail essential.

Rakibul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Vatara Police Station, told The Business Standard that the police filed the case against Apurbo registered under Section 295A of the Penal Code. 

The section states that anyone who deliberately insults or attempts to insult the religion or religious beliefs of any class of citizens, with the intent to outrage their religious feelings, can face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine or both.

Meanwhile, Apurbo received treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital after the beating, but the extent of his injuries could not be known immediately.

NSU expels Aprubo

NSU authorities yesterday expelled Apurbo, according to a statement issued after an emergency meeting of the university's disciplinary committee. The university also decided to file a case over the incident.

The statement said eyewitnesses saw Apurbo desecrating the Quran on campus on Saturday. "Later, the proctorial body and security department intervened and brought the situation under control," it added.

What happened

Videos circulated on Facebook on Saturday night allegedly showed Apurbo disrespecting the Quran, sparking outrage and demands for his arrest. Around 1am yesterday, a crowd gathered outside his home in Bashundhara Residential Area.

Vatara police reached the spot to detain him, but as officers began escorting Apurbo, the mob turned violent and beat him. Additional police personnel were called to control the situation.

Sub-Inspector Kamruzzaman said police initially struggled to take him into custody due to the crowd's resistance, but eventually managed to do so around 2:45am. 

OC Rakibul said police found evidence on Apurbo's Facebook profile showing posts that disrespected the Quran.

He added that Apurbo lives with his family in Bashundhara and that they remain safe.

Teacher calls for rehabilitation

NSU faculty member Asif Bin Ali wrote in a Facebook post that Apurbo, a convert to Islam, had long struggled with addiction and mental health issues. 

"He was my student. Towards the end of 2023, he converted to Islam, changed his name, and began practising the religion," Asif said.

He added that Apurbo had earlier been expelled from NSU in 2024 due to drug addiction and abnormal behaviour, though he was later given another chance to resume his studies. 

"Unfortunately, neither his drug problem nor his mental health issues received proper treatment," he said.

Asif urged authorities to treat the incident as a mental health matter rather than a deliberate provocation. 

"This is not part of any major conspiracy. It is the act of a person struggling with serious psychological problems. What is most urgent now is to send him to a rehabilitation centre as soon as possible," he said.