Teacher detained in Sylhet over Facebook post about Minister Ariful

Police have detained a young man in Companiganj, Sylhet, after a Facebook post expressing frustration over the continued closure of stone quarries and featuring a photograph of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury.

Jubear Ahmed, 32, was detained on Tuesday afternoon and has since remained, said Companiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Usman Gani.

He is a resident of Kalabari village in Companiganj. He is a stone trader and a teacher at a local kindergarten school.

Ariful is the member of parliament for Sylhet-4, which includes Companiganj, along with Gowainghat and Jaintiapur.

Stone and sand quarries are a major source of livelihood for a large population in this border region. 

Before the February 12 parliamentary election, Ariful Haque Chowdhury pledged at an election rally that the quarries would be reopened the day after his party won the election.

However, six months after the election, the quarries remain closed, fuelling anger and frustration among local residents. Many have taken to social media to express their disappointment.

As part of this growing discontent, Jubear posted three photographs of Minister Ariful meeting party activists at Sylhet airport on his personal Facebook account on the night of October 8.

In the post, he wrote: “Everything was supposed to return to normal on the 13th, the day after the election on the 12th. Yet nothing has been put right. The honourable minister has made our lives increasingly difficult.”

The post triggered widespread reactions among local Facebook users. Many commented to express their anger over the continued closure of the quarries.

As of 9pm on Tuesday, the post had received 674 reactions, 81 comments and 12 shares. Most of the comments expressed frustration with the minister over his failure to reopen the stone quarries.

Repeated attempts to the minister for comment went unanswered.

Asked about the incident, OC Md Usman Gani said Jubear had been called to the police station for questioning but had not yet been formally shown as arrested.

“He is being questioned over allegations that he posted inappropriate comments and photographs featuring the honourable minister on his Facebook account,” the OC said.

He added that police were examining Jubear's Facebook account, the post and its comments.

A decision on whether to formally arrest him or release him would be made after the investigation and verification process, the OC said.

Meanwhile, repeated attempts to contact several senior leaders of the upazila BNP for comment on the incident were unsuccessful.

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