Police arrested a 55-year-old man in the early hours of Thursday as he allegedly placed the Holy Quran inside a temple in Patuakhali's Bauphal.
Locals handed over Md Idris from the Nalua village in Bakerganj upazila to the law enforcers as he tried to take to the heels after keeping the Quran at Sarbajanin Kali Mandir in Uttar Rajnagar-Palpara.
Bauphal police station Officer-in-Charge Al Mamun said Sanjay Paul, a local, saw Idris coming out of the temple around 3:30am.
Idris tried to run away as Sanjay asked him what he was doing there.
Locals rushed to the place as Sanjay shouted and caught Idris. They found the Quran on a pot in front of an idol of Goddess Kali.
At one point, Idris admitted that it was wrong for him to keep the Quran there.
On information, police came to the place and brought Idris to Bauphal police station. Additional police were deployed in the area to ward off further trouble.
Police filed a case in connection with the incident, Al Mamun said.
"We will apply for taking the accused on remand in police custody for interrogation."
