What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Police have arrested a 22-year-old Hindu youth, Joy Sarkar, from Ward Number 11, Alipur, in the Faridpur District of Bangladesh over allegations of posting “religiously offensive” comments on social media. The arrest, carried out late on 26th December 2025, took place amid rapidly escalating tensions online and on the streets. What makes the incident impossible to view in isolation is that it occurred barely a week after the religiously motivated mob-lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a case that continues to haunt the Hindu community and raise troubling questions about safety, accountability and selective urgency in law enforcement.
According to police sources, at approximately 8:05 pm on 26 December, a Facebook account named “Arafatul Ashik” published a post related to Islamic history. In the comments section, Joy Sarkar—son of Shankar Kumar Sarkar and a resident of Alipur (Ward No. 11) under Faridpur Kotwali Police Station—responded with a remark that would soon trigger his arrest.
According to multiple accounts familiar with the case, the comment deemed “blasphemous” consisted of a single line:
“Sanatana Dharma is the oldest religion.” [1]
The statement, a commonly held belief within Hindu tradition regarding the antiquity of its faith, did not contain profanity, threats, or explicit references to Islam. Nevertheless, it was interpreted by some as religiously offensive once screenshots of the comment were extracted and circulated.
The screenshots were first shared in a Messenger group named “Loge achi.com” and then rapidly disseminated across social media platforms. Within hours, the images went viral. As online outrage mounted, tensions flared across Faridpur town, prompting police to move quickly, citing the need to maintain law and order.
That same night, Kotwali Police arrested Joy Sarkar [2].
On 27 December 2025, a formal case was lodged at Kotwali Police Station by Md. Sarafat Ahmed Shubho (19), who stated that he was filing the complaint “on behalf of all citizens of Faridpur district.” Police confirmed that Joy Sarkar remains in custody and that the allegations are under investigation. The Officer-in-Charge stated that if the accusations are proven, “strict legal action” will be taken.
Police also reiterated their zero-tolerance stance on any act that “hurts religious sentiments,” emphasizing that no one involved in such incidents would be given leniency.
No democratic society can permit genuine incitement or deliberate provocation. Due process must apply to all, and religious harmony must be protected. But harmony enforced through fear, selective speed, and silence on violence is coercion.
Barely a week after Dipu Chandra Das, Faridpur has once again become a mirror to a deeper national crisis:
a system quick to police speech, slow to confront brutality, and increasingly unable to convince minorities that the law exists to protect them equally.
Until that imbalance is addressed, every such arrest will raise the same troubling doubt—not about law and order, but about whose order, and at whose cost.
References :
[1] Statements of neighbours
[2] https://www.hindus-news.com/news.php?path=%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6%2F%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87_%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE_%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87_%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%9F_%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87_%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%95_%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%81_%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%95&fbclid=IwY2xjawO-yplleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFOZmx1Qkc5cXE3R05Wb1Jxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmHbtyV9q_bUFm0iyt6M0i5Sbx0al-zyLra1Xo4oS7TOCX3NSQFKWYAHksac_aem_On0A-v4kTnwwfNZigIjyPg
