Dhaka: Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Tuesday said journalist Probir Sikdar has been arrested for his post in Facebook.

He said this while responding to queries from reporters at a press briefing at his ministry.

‘Probir was arrested after an official complaint against him was filed under section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act…he posted a status on facebook claiming he had been threatened and that three individuals, including LGRD and Co-operatives Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain as well as a convicted war criminal and a businessman, should be held responsible if something happens to him,’ he said.

According to section 57, (1) If any person deliberately publishes or transmits or causes to be published or transmitted in the website or in electronic form any material which is fake and obscene or its effect is such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it, or causes to deteriorate or creates possibility to deteriorate law and order, prejudice the image of the State or person or causes to hurt or may hurt religious belief or instigate against any person or organization, then this activity of his will be regarded as an offence.

(2) Whoever commits offence under sub-section (1) of this section he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years and with fine which may extend to Taka one crore.

The Home Minister said Probir has not been arrested to gag the voice of journalists.

‘I’ve heard about the arrest of journalist Shawkat Mahmud from the Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). He has also been arrested on specific allegations, but I didn’t know what that allegation is,’ he said.

Responding to a question about Nur Hossain who is the prime accused in the Narayanganj-7 murder case, the minister said the government will bring him back from India as soon as possible.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, DMP detectives arrested BNP chairperson's adviser Shawkat Mahmud from in front of Samurai Convention Centre at Panthapath area in Dhaka.

Meanwhile, detectives picked up Probir Sikdar, the owner of online newspaper ‘Uttaradhikar Ekattor News’, from his Indira Road office in the capital on Sunday evening.