Dhaka: A Bangladesh court has sentenced a former leader of a Hindu group to seven years in jail on charges of blasphemy over a Facebook post allegedly insulting Islam five years ago, media reports said on Wednesday.

Judge Abul Kashem of the divisional cyber tribunal handed the sentence on Tuesday, state lawyer Mostafa Dilwar Al Azhar told bdnews24.

43-year-od Rakesh Roy was the organising secretary of Hindu Mohajote’s Sylhet Division unit.

Mostafa said Rakesh was arrested on Jun 7, 2017 after the case was filed earlier that month over his social media post. Eight witnesses testified in the tribunal, reported the news portal.