Recently, a case has been filed against the controversial Islamic speaker Sheikh Akramuzzaman, known as ‘Viral,’ in the Cyber Tribunal in Chittagong regarding his comments on the holy night of Baraat (Night of Ascension). The court has accepted the case, and lawyer Muhammad Ridwan from Chittagong court has confirmed the matter.
On Tuesday (February 27), the judge of Chittagong Division Cyber Tribunal, Mohammad Zahirul Kabir, filed the case in court on behalf of plaintiff M. Fuad Bin Hakim, a member of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Muhammad Ridwan, has mentioned in the petition that an investigation should be conducted by the Counter Terrorism Unit within a month and a report should be submitted.
The accused in the case is Sheikh Akramuzzaman Bin Abdul Salam Madani, the founder and director of ‘Ehya-Us Sunnah Foundation.’ He resides in the Mainartek area of Uttarkhan Thana in the capital.
The plaintiff has claimed that last year, a video was uploaded on YouTube from a channel called ‘Da’wah Tv Network,’ titled “Shabe Barat and Shaban,” following the standards of Quran and Sunnah. The video contained provocative speeches about the holy night of Baraat. On February 25, the same controversial speech, along with the argumentative video, was uploaded from the disputant’s Facebook account. The video went viral on social media.
In the case, the plaintiff has expressed concern about the continuous practice of condemning followers of Quran and Sunnah for a long time by Akramuzzaman. The plaintiff has brought allegations under sections 28 and 31 of the Cyber Security Act 2023.
Fuhad Bin Hakim, the complainant, stated, “As a Muslim, I have been deeply hurt hearing Akramuzzaman’s statement that going to a brothel is better than worshiping in the mosque on the holy night of Baraat. Hence, I filed the case in Chittagong Cyber Tribunal, seeking a severe punishment for Akramuzzaman.”
Writer and organizer Jikrul Wahid said, “The night of Baraat is highly respected among Muslims. On this night, Muslims seek forgiveness from the Almighty Allah through worship during the night. It is mentioned as a blessed night in the Holy Hadith. However, Akram, a supposed Islamic scholar, has said that it is better to go to a brothel than to stand in prayer at the mosque on such a glorious night. We demand strict legal action against him.”
Several lawyers, including Mohammad Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, president of Chittagong District Bar Association, Muhammad Ashraf Hossain Chowdhury Razzak, General Editor, Sheikh Iftekhar Saiful Chowdhury, District Public Prosecutor, Advocate Iqbal Hasan, Advocate Arush, Advocate Fazlul Sabir Abhi, Advocate Imran Hossain, and Advocate Hussain Al Mahmud, were present at the hearing of the case.
It is noteworthy that Sheikh Akramuzzaman Bin Abdul Salam Madani recently went viral on social media for a video in which he made various controversial comments about the holy night of Baraat, causing outrage among the general public.
