ZCZC
BSS-22
HC-BAIL-KISHORE-DSA
Cartoonist Kishore gets bail in DSA case
DHAKA, March 3, 2021 (BSS) – The High Court today granted six-month bail
to cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore in a case lodged under Digital Security Act
(DSA).
A High Court division virtual bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim
and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after holding a hearing on
the matter.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua took part in the hearing for the bail
petition, while Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi stood for the
state.
Earlier on February 28, a lower court concerned had scrapped a plea of
Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) unit of the police to take
Kishore in remand in the case.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) filed the case against 11 persons on May 5,
2020, on charges of spreading anti-state falsehood to tarnish the image of
Bangladesh and create confusion from a Facebook page. Kishore and writer
Mushtak Ahmed, who died in jail recently, were arrested on that same day.
The 11 accused in the case are Ahmed Kabir Kishore, Rashtrachinta
coordinator Didarul Bhuiyan, Minhaj Mannan, Tasnim Khalil, Sahed Alam, Asif
Mohiuddin, Zulkarnain Shayer Khan alias Sami, Ashik Imran, Swapan Wahid,
Philip Shumakher and writer Mushtak Ahmed.
Earlier on January 13, police filed the charge-sheet against cartoonist
Ahmed Kabir Kishore, Rashtrachinta coordinator Didarul Bhuiyan and writer
Mushtak Ahmed. Police however, excluded names of eight accused Minhaj Mannan,
Tasnim Khalil, Sahed Alam, Asif Mohiuddin, Sami, Ashik Imran, Swapan Wahid
and Philip Shumakher from the charge-sheet, saying the allegations brought
against them have not been proved.
On February 10, Bangladesh Cyber Tribunal had ordered CTTC to further
investigate the case and submit the report.
The court had come up with the order, allowing a prosecution plea to
further investigate the case. The prosecution on February 9 also filed naraji
(no confidence) petition against the charge-sheet for dropping names of eight
accused.
BSS/DA/TRAN/MHR/FI/ 1700 hrs