On Monday (April 28), a man named Nazrul Islam submitted the complaint to the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Saifuzzaman. The editor, publisher, and graphics designer of Prothom Alo have been named as defendants in the case.
The court recorded the plaintiff’s statement and set next Sunday as the date for its decision regarding further action.
According to the case application, on March 30, Prothom Alo published a cartoon in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th columns of its front page under the headline "Eid Mubarak," featuring an image of a dog. The complaint alleges that this cartoon mocked the holy festival of Eid and hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.
The petition further stated that as a leading national newspaper, Prothom Alo showed no hesitation in mocking the sacred Islamic celebration of Eid. By associating a dog’s playful, comical image with the joy of Eid, the newspaper allegedly undermined the sanctity of the festival and deeply disrespected the religious emotions of the Muslim community.
The filing described the cartoon as a "deliberate and premeditated conspiracy" to insult and degrade the revered festival of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Additionally, it claimed that the accused parties knowingly and intentionally portrayed Eid, a holy act of worship for Muslims, in a disrespectful and satirical manner through the cartoon published in Prothom Alo.
