Shishir Manir sued for ‘hurting religious sentiments’, he calls it political

A case has been filed in a Dhaka court against Mohammad Shishir Manir, Jamaat-e-Islami’s nominated parliamentary candidate for Sunamganj-2 and a senior Supreme Court lawyer, over remarks allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims in Bangladesh. 

A YouTube channel named ‘DSN’ has also been named as an accused in the same case.

The complaint was lodged on Sunday by lawyer Ridwan Hossain Robin before the court of Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam in Dhaka. 

The court accepted the petition and ordered the Detective Branch (DB) of the police to investigate. Bench assistant Nazmul Talukder confirmed the filing.

According to the complaint, Shishir Manir, during a recent video broadcast on the ‘DSN’ YouTube channel, described “fasting and worship as two sides of the same coin.” The petitioner argues that this statement equates Islamic fasting – a practice rooted in the belief in a formless Allah – with idol-based worship, which contradicts core Islamic tenets and has deeply offended the Muslim community.

The complaint emphasised that over 91 per cent of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim and that religious beliefs are highly sensitive. 

It asserted that such analogies not only misrepresent Islamic doctrine but also risk inciting communal anxiety in an otherwise harmonious society.

The case invokes Section 298/34 of the Penal Code – Section 298 criminalising the deliberate hurting of religious feelings, and Section 34 holding all conspirators jointly liable for a shared criminal act.

In response, Shishir Manir dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. 

In a written statement issued hours after the case was filed, he claimed the plaintiffs and witnesses are affiliated with a rival political party and filed the complaint with “excessive enthusiasm” to serve a “special purpose.” 

He insisted the matter would be resolved through due legal process.

This is the second case filed against Manir on Sunday on identical grounds; both were submitted to the same court and assigned to the DB for investigation. 

The detective branch is expected to submit its findings in due course.

The development comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of the upcoming general elections, with legal actions increasingly being viewed through a partisan lens by various political factions.