A court in Rajshahi has ordered punishments against two madrasa teachers who were sued under the Digital Security Act for celebrating Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary with bread instead of cake.
Rajshahi Cyber Tribunal Judge Ziaur Rahman on Tuesday, ordered a “probationary punishment” of one year for Boirtala Dakhil Madrasa teachers Abdus Salam and Golam Kabir.
During the period, the duo have to read books on the 1971 Liberation War and educate their students on it.
Among the reading materials are three books authored by Bangabandhu. The court also ordered them to plant 20 trees each.
A failure to comply with the orders will lead to imprisonment of one year and a fine of Tk100,000. If they fail to pay the fine, it will lead to an additional one month of imprisonment.
The men were charged under the digital security law last year on March 17 after they celebrated the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by cutting a Tk10 bread.
Awami League union unit General Secretary Yunus Ali filed a case that very day against 11 people.
They had hosted a small party to mark the occasion, which was broadcast live on Facebook from an Islamic seminary, prosecutor Ismat Ara Begum told AFP.
"They cut 10-taka bread on the occasion and distributed the pieces of the bread mockingly to several students," she said.
Meanwhile, Abdus Salam, one of the teachers, denied mocking the national leaders’ birthday when AFP contacted him.
According to him, they held prayers in Bangabandhu’s name and cut bread because good quality cake was not available in the remote area.
Our Rajshahi Correspondent Dulal Abdullah provided inputs for the report
