Further investigation report against 11 including Zulkarnain on 15 March

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DHAKA, Mar 10, 2021, (BSS) – A Dhaka court today set March 15 for further investigation into the case filed against 11 people, including Samiul alias Zulkarnain Sayer Khan under the Digital Security Act for posting anti-government posts on social media.

Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakkar Siddique set the new date as Additional Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) of the police could not file the report today.

Earlier on May 5 last year, RAB-3 CPC-1 warrant officer Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique filed a case against 11 people under the Digital Security Act at Ramna Police Station. Another 5 to 6 unidentified people were accused in the case.

On January 13, the investigation officer submitted the charge sheet of the case against cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore, coordinator of ‘Rashtrachinta Dhaka’ Didarul Bhuiyan, and writer Mushtaq Ahmed.

However, as no evidence was found, the police applied for the release of the other eight accused.

They are -Minhaj Mannan, former director of Dhaka Stock Exchange, Tasnim Khalil, editor-in-chief of Netra News, Shahed Alam, a journalist living in the United States, Asif Mohiuddin, a German expatriate blogger, Zulkarnain Sayer Khan, who was recently seen giving an interview in a report aired on Al Jazeera television, Ashiq Imran, Swapan Wahid and Philip Schumacher.

However, the prosecution objected to the charge sheet. On February 10, Judge of the Bangladesh Cyber Tribunal, As-Shams Jaglul Hossain, objected and directed the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) to investigate and submit a report.

According to the case statement, the accused posted various propaganda and rumors on a Facebook page called ‘I am Bangladeshi’ to tarnish the image or reputation of the state and to spread confusion.

Their activities have created confusion among the people and degraded law and order, says the statement.

Admin of that page Sayer Zulkarnain and ,Kishore, Ashiq Imran, Philip Schumacher, Swapan Wahid, Mushtaq Ahmed and five other editors have been running the Facebook page for a long time.

The case statement further states that evidences of ‘conspiratorial conversation/chat against the state’ were found against Ahmed Kabir Kishore, Tasnim Khalil, Zulkarnain Sayer Khan, Shahed Alam and Asif Mohiuddin in a social media group chat.

The statement further said that anti-state posts, cartoons of various leaders of the ruling party were found as an evidence of creating confusion and spreading rumors among the people.