Jhumon Das arrested again as case filed under Digital Security Act
Police have again arrested Jhumon Das, 26, from Noagaon village in Shalla upazila of Sunamganj on allegation of writing somehting ‘controversial’ in his Facebook wall. The law enforcement members detained Jhumon Das from his house on Tuesday afternoon and filed a case against him under the Digital Security Act at night.
Jhumon was shown arrested in the case. Abu Sayeed, additional police super in Sunamganj confirmed this to Prothom Alo.
Shalla police station officer-in-charge Aminul Islam said Jhumon Das gave a post from his Facebook ID about mosque and temple a few days ago. This has created tension among the local people. In this context, the action has been taken against him.
Shalla police station sub-inspector (SI) Sumanur Rahman filed the case under the Digital Security Act. Earlier, on 22 March last year, police filed another case against Jhumon Das under the Digital Security Act at the same police station.
On allegation of Jhumon Das’ objectionable post on Facebook on 16 March last year, house and temples of Hindu community at Noagaon village were attacked on the next day. Jhumon Das was arrested before that at midnight on 16 March and made accused in a case under the Digital Security Act. He was behind bars.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Jhumon Das’ wife Sweety Rani Das said police have been staying at a primary school of their village for the last four days. Several police members went to their home on Tuesday afternoon and told Jhumon Das that a high official of the force will talk him at Noagaon Bazar. Later, Jhumon and Sweety boarded a boat. But police took them to Shalla police station. She was with Jhumon there the whole day. Later, she returned home leaving Jhumon at the police station at around 9:00pm. When she phoned this morning, police said Jhumon has been arrested.
Regarding the Facebook post, Sweety Das said she asked Jhumon about the Facebook post. Jhumon told her that he did not write anything that would make anyone aggrieved. However, recently he wrote about women’s dress in one or two posts.
Jhumon’s mother Nibha Rani Das said, “Police said Jhumon has once again written something in Facebook! That’s why he was taken to police station. I talked to police several times yesterday (Tuesday). Police told this morning that once again a case has been filed against Jhumon.”
Additional police super Abu Sayeed said, “Another case has been filed against Jhumon Das under the Digital Security Act and he was shown arrested in the case. He will be taken to the court today.”
On 15 March 2021, Hefajat-e-Islam’s the then leaders Junaid Babunagari and Mamunul Haque spoke at a rally in Sunamganj’s Derai upazila centring Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit in Bangladesh.
Jhumon Das, from Noagaon village in Habibpur union parishad of Shalla upazila, allegedly posted an objectionable Facebook status about Mamunul Haque. People of the village handed Jhumon over to police on 16 March and he was produced before a court on the following day. The court sent him to jail.
Meanwhile, over a hundred people attacked the Hindu community of Noagaon village centring the Facebook post on 17 March. They vandalised around 90 houses and temples of the village and looted the houses.
A case was filed with Shalla police station over the incident of attack on Noagaon village while a case under Digital Security Act was filed against Jhumon Das with the same police station. He was shown arrested in the case on 23 March. Jhumon was released from jail on 28 September, after six months and 12 days of arrest.