Teacher Hridoy Mandal arrested in 2022 over blasphemy charge dies

Hridoy Chandra Mandal, the renowned science teacher of Binodpur Ramkumar High School in Munshiganj, has passed away at the age of 58. He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at Suhrawardy Hospital in the capital on Saturday afternoon, April 4.

Family members said he died due to complications from cerebral haemorrhage. His last rites were performed on the same night at the Nimtala crematorium in Sirajdikhan upazila, Munshiganj, his ancestral home.

On March 22, 2022, Hridoy Mandal was arrested by police on charges of blasphemy. The incident sparked widespread discussion across the country. Protests demanding his release were held in Dhaka and various other locations. After 19 days in detention, he was released on April 10 that year. He was subsequently acquitted of the case on August 16.

He had been teaching science and mathematics at Binodpur Ramkumar High School for 25 years.

His wife, Bobita Halder, told journalists that Hridoy Mandal underwent treatment in India on two occasions for about one and a half months due to complications in his ear. He had two surgeries on his right ear during this time. He returned home on March 28 after recovering somewhat and took classes normally at his workplace the following day, March 29.

However, that same night, he suffered a stroke at home. He was initially admitted to Munshiganj General Hospital and later transferred to Suhrawardy Hospital for advanced treatment. As his condition deteriorated, he was placed on life support on March 31, where he passed away on Saturday afternoon.