Cartoonist jailed in Bangladesh

By Mark Dummett
BBC News, Dhaka

There were angry protests against the paper in Dhaka

A cartoonist in Bangladesh has been jailed for a month after the government said his drawings had insulted Muslims.

Bangladesh's home minister said the cartoonist, Arifur Rahman, had hurt the sentiments of the people.

The leading Bangla-language newspaper which published the offending cartoons, Prothom Alo, has apologised and says it has sacked an editor.

Islam is Bangladesh's state religion and past governments have banned publications for insulting Muslim.

The country's religious traditions are moderate but some people believe conservatives are becoming more influential.

'Mistake'

Police arrested Mr Rahman following complaints by the head cleric of Dhaka's main mosque.

The cartoon featured a conversation between a mullah and a child and ended with a joke about the Prophet Mohammed's name.

Mr Rahman was jailed under Bangladesh's emergency laws.

These give the authorities powers to hold people without charge if they are deemed to threaten national security.

The government's information minister said the cartoons were part of a conspiracy to throw the country in chaos, but a senior editor of the newspaper said the cartoons had been published by mistake.