The arrests were made 19 days after making the footage when the incident became known to local people and the administration. The whole incident created a sensation among people in Barisal city.

The arrested persons are Sanjoy Ghosh, 28 and Mizanur Rahman Khokan, 29, two businessmen of Chawak and Bazaar Road areas in the city. Sanjoy is from a rich family in the city.

Some sources claimed that the footage was sent to a person in France, who is seeking political asylum there.

Police said Sanjoy Ghosh and Mizanur Rahman Khokan along with some others had gone to the house of Sanjoy's uncle Advocate Ashok Ghosh at Raipura village in Chandpura union in Barisal Sadar upazila on April 22.

There they staged fake sequences of minority torture by 'Islamic fundamentalists' in a field near a community clinic and at Buniadi High School and took video snaps and still photographs.

Their activities and mock minority torture drew attention of local people, who informed police, the Barisal City Corporation (BCC) Mayor and some officials. Meanwhile the matter became known to intelligence personnel also.

But police moved late and went to the spot to investigate the matter on May 6 after a news on the incident was published in local newspapers.

Mizanur Rahman, Officer-in- Charge of Barisal Kotwali police station, in a press briefing on May 11 admitted going to the spot on May 6 along with Vishnu Gosh, another uncle of Sanjoy, for investigating the matter.

Police arrested Sanjoy and Mizan after intelligence agencies investigated the incident. The two were placed on remand on May 11, which will end today.

Eyewitnesses to the mock minority torture included former Union Parishad member Khokan Chandra Bepari, Shahidul Islam, Delwar Hossain, Tapan Howlader, Khalil Howlader and Bappi Khan, a student of class eight at Charmonai High School. They testified before police under Section 161, police said.

They told police that Sanjib, Niranjan, Palsh, Khokan, Mamu and some others participated in mock sequences of minority torture.

The sources claimed that the video footage and still photographs were sent to Sumon Ghosh in France. Sumon Ghosh, nephew of Khokan Gosh and Vishnu Gosh, is seeking political asylum there, they cliamed.

Sanjoy and Mizan are being interrogated, police said. Sanjoy's father Khokan Ghosh, uncles Vishnu Ghosh and Ashok Ghosh and other family members went into hiding after the incident, police added.

A police team led by Sader Circle ASP Mizanur Rahman visited the spot yesterday.