Digital Security Act
Helena Jahangir gets bail in DSA case, may walk out of jail soon
A Dhaka Court on Wednesday granted bail to Helena Jahangir, a businessperson-turned politician, in a case filed under Digital Security Act clearing the last obstacle against her release from jail.
Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddiq passed the order after hearing her bail petition.
Read: Helena Jahangir seeks bail from HC in DSA case
Since she got bail in all other cases filed against her since her arrest on July 29 last year, Helena will be freed once the bail orders reach the jail authorities, court sources said.
Helena earlier got bail in cases relating to fraud, illegal possession of narcotics and violation of telecommunication law.
Read: Helena Jahangir gets bail, but cannot walk out of jail
On the night of July 29, members of Rapid Action Battalion-1 (Rab) arresed Helena from her Gulshan residence, four days after she was removed from her post of a women affairs sub-committee of the ruling Awami League.
No evidence of torture on cartoonist Kishore found: PBI
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) did not find any evidence of torture on cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore.
Additional Public Prosecutor Taposh Kumar Pal of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court said Investigating Officer of the case and superintendent of police of PBI Mohammad Mizanur Rahman submitted a report in this regard on October 17.
The court fixed November 24 for hearing on the probe report on Wednesday.
According to the PIB report, Kishore's allegations of torture against 16-17 unnamed people were not primarily proved.
On March 20, a three-member medical board of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) submitted a report to the court saying that they did not find any sign of torture on Kishore's body.
Read:DSA case: Charges pressed against cartoonist Kishore, 6 others
The members of the medical board were Prof Sheikh Nurul Fattah Rumi of ENT, Prof Fakhrul Amin Khan of the orthopedic and Prof Mohammad Hafiz Sardar of medicine departments.
On March 10, Kishore filed a complaint in the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court against unnamed members of law enforcement agencies, alleging torture after being arrested in a case under the Digital Security Act.
Later on March 14, Judge KM Emrul Kayesh directed the director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital to form a three-member committee. He also directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the case.
In his complaint, Kishore said, he was picked up on May 2 last year by some 16-17 unidentified men.
They searched his room without showing any arrest warrant and illegally took all his digital devices, including a mobile phone set, computer CPU and portable hard disc drive, he alleged.
He also said that he was tortured physically and mentally at an unknown place between May 2 and 4 last year.
At one stage of the interrogation, one of the men slapped Kishore, leaving him unconscious for a while.
Earlier on Sept 12, Dhaka Cyber Tribunal accepted the charges against seven people, including cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA) Act on charges of spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities.
Writer Mushtaq Ahmed’s name was dropped from the charge sheet as he died on February 25.
The three others accused who were exonerated from the charges are-- US-based journalist Shahed Alam, Germany-based blogger Asif Mohiuddin, and Philip Schuhmacher.
Read: Court asks PBI to investigate case over cartoonist Kishore’s torture in custody
On June 13, police submitted a supplementary charge sheet against seven people, including cartoonist Kishore.
Afsar Ahmed, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit (CTTC) sub-inspector and also the investigative officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court.
In February, police submitted a charge sheet against three of the accused, dropping the names of eight others.
Later, a Dhaka court ordered the DMP CTTC unit to further investigate all the 11 accused in the case.
Rab personnel arrested writer Mushtaq Ahmed, also a businessman, and cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore from their respective homes in Kakrail and Lalmatia areas on May 5, 2020 on charges of spreading disinformation against the government on social media.
On May 6 last year, RAB filed the case against the 11 people with Ramna police station on charges of spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities, under the DSA.
Will follow next polls very closely amid Bangladesh’s growing importance globally: EU
Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley on Monday said they will be following the next general election “very closely” because the international community is “very interested” in what happens in Bangladesh amid its growing engagement globally as a developing economic power house.
“I think we’ll be following it very closely. Why we’ll be following it very closely is not because we want to interfere but the international community is very interested in what happens in Bangladesh,” he said.
The Ambassador said everybody has a stake in what happens in that election in Bangladesh which is a strategic part of this region and a developing economic power house where ties are developing.
The EU envoy made the remarks while responding to a question at “DCAB Talk” held in a city hotel. Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) President Pantho Rahaman and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the event.
Read: GSP-plus vulnerability criteria: BGMEA thanks EU for removing 7.4% import-share threshold
Ambassador Whiteley said the key word around elections is exactly the “process” and elections are not events.
Country under “terrible fascist aggression”: BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday alleged that people are passing through a tough time as the country is now under “terrible fascist aggression”.
“Our creativity is being destroyed and all our free thoughts are blocked as we’re going through a very difficult time. We now can't freely speak and write,” he said.
Speaking at a book launch event, he said poetry, creativity and art all are going to be exiled at this critical juncture of the country.
Read: Lack of democracy worsens situation in Bangladesh: Fakhrul
"This is a terrible situation as the entire nation is now under awful fascist aggression. I often think we’re going through a very bad time,” he observed.
Mannan-Nilufar Memorial Foundation arranged the event at a city hotel on the occasion of unveiling the cover of the book 'Bengal, thy name is beauty'. Late BNP vice-chairman and former minister Abdul Mannan translated the book 'Rupshi Bangla' by poet Jibanananda Das into English during his lifetime.
Abdul Mannan died on August 4, 2020.
Depicting the current situation of the country, he said there is now no security of children or adolescents while a girl or a woman is arrested and sent to jail for giving a status on Facebook.
The BNP leader said journalists are also being arrested and sent to jail under the Digital Security Act for exposing the fact.
Read: Govt’s logic behind fuel price hike ‘unacceptable': Fakhrul
He said some sort of instability is there across the world and good things are getting disappeared while unjust and ugly things are being established.
“Eighty percent of those of us cam here are involved in politics. You look around and see that there’s a fight for power and we all are doing it more or less. This is the reality,” the BNP leader said.
He described Abdul Mannan as an outstanding person and a good politician and paid tributes to his memory.
Photojournalist Kajol indicted in 3 DSA cases
The cyber tribunal in Dhaka on Monday framed charges against photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in three cases filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA).
Judge Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal fixed January 2 for the formal trial to begin with the deposition of witnesses.
Journalist Kajal, now on bail, pleaded innocence and demanded justice.
Read:Dhaka cyber court accepts charges against Kajol
Earlier, the hearing on charge framing in the cases was scheduled to be held on October 21. As the judge of the tribunal Ash Sams Joglul Hossain was on leave, acting judge Iqbal Hossain fixed November 8 for the hearing.
Kajol went missing on March 10, 2020, a day after Magura-1 MP Saifuzzaman Shikhor filed a case against him and 31 others, including Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury.
They were sued under the DSA for publishing and sharing an article on social media about expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papia.
Two other cases were filed against Kajol at Kamrangir Char and Hazaribagh police stations under the same act on March 10 and 11 last year.
After his 53 days of disappearance, Kajol was detained by Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) near the Benapole border on May 3,2020 and produced in a Jashore court on the same day.
Read:Court takes cognizance of charges against photojournalist Kajol
Although the court granted him bail in the case, he was sent to jail as Kotwali police brought another charge against him under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
On October 19, 2020, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain why photojournalist Kajol should not be granted bail in the case filed at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
On November 24, 2020, the photojournalist secured bail in another case filed against him under the DSA.
On December 17, that year, the High Court granted him bail in two cases filed under the DSA, clearing the way for his release.
He was freed from Dhaka Central Jail on December 25 last year.
Badrunnessa College teacher put on remand in DSA case
A Dhaka court on Thursday placed a teacher of Badrunnessa College on a 2-day remand in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Masudur Rahman passed the order when sub-inspector of Ramna police station Shafiqul Islam produced Ruma Sarker, an assistant professor of the college, before court and sought a 7-day in remand for interrogation.
The court also rejected defendant’s lawyer Liton Kumar Shaha’s bail plea.
Read: Disinformation on social media: Badrunnessa College teacher held for questioning
Earlier in the day, Deputy Assistant Director of Rapid Action Battalion-3 (Rab) filed a case against Ruma Sarker under the Digital Security Act (DSA) with Ramna police station on charge of spreading a video footage of Sahinuddin murder in Dhaka on social media as Jatan Shaha’s murder in Noakhali.
On Wednesday, Rab detained the teacher for quizzing on charge of spreading of misinformation on social media.
Sahinuddin was hacked to death with sharp weapons by some miscreants after being called out to a garage at D-block in Mirpur-12 over a land dispute on May 16.
HC rejects Helena’s bail plea in DSA case
The High Court on Tuesday rejected bail to Helena Jahangir, an expelled Awami League member and businessperson, over a case filed at Gulshan police station Under Digital Security Act.
The bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Md Badruzzaman dismissed the bail petition as not presented at the court and as a result the accused will not be able to walk out of jail.
Lawyer Z I Khan Panna and Syed Fazle Elahi presented the petitioner’s side during the hearing while Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed, Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah and Deputy Attorney general AKM Amin Uddin appeared for the state.
Helena submitted a petition seeking bail from the High court last week.
READ: Helena Jahangir seeks bail from HC in DSA case
On July 30, Rapid Action Battalion-1 (Rab) filed the case against Helena at Gulshan police station for spreading invectives and abusive comments against ministers and government high-ups using digital platforms.
On September 21, Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge KM Imrul Kayes rejected Helena’s bail plea in this case.
On the night of July 29, Rab arrested Helena from her Gulshan residence, four days after she was removed as member of AL sub-committee on women affairs.
The elite force "seized foreign liquor, illegal walkie-talkie sets, casino equipment and deer skins" during the four-hour raid on her home.
READ: Helena gives confessional statement in narcotics case
Later another raid was conducted at Joyjatra IPTV station in Mirpur and it was sealed after recovering illegal equipment.
Later the court placed Helena on a 17-day remand in four cases.
She secured bail in one case from court on August 17 and in two other cases on September 21.
Mufti Ibrahim sued under DSA
A case has been filed against Islamic preacher Mufti Kazi Ibrahim under the Digital Security Act.
Mohammad Abdul Latif, officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur Police Station filed the case on Tuesday night with the police station following an allegation of DB-Cyber and Special Crime Department.
READ: Islamic preacher Mufti Ibrahim detained
The web-based crime investigation team of the Intelligence Department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police found some video clips of the preacher on social networking sites where he gave controversial statements.
READ: Mufti Amir Hamza placed on 5-day remand in Parliament building attack case
Police arrested preacher Mufti Kazi Ibrahim from his Mohammadpur residence on Tuesday.
Jhumon Das walks out of jail after six months
Jhumon Das walked out of Sunamganj District Jail on Tuesday evening after spending nearly six months following his arrest in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
Jail superintendent Nurshed Ahmed Via said Jhumon left the premises around 6.30 pm, hours after the High Court's bail order, issued on Thursday, reached the jail.
Jhumon expressed his gratitude for all who have supported him, after walking out of jail.
Read: Jhumon Das gets bail in digital security case
On September 23, the High Court granted interim bail for a year to Jhumon in the case.
Jhumon had been in judicial custody since March 22, when he was arrested for posting defamatory remarks about then Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque on his Facebook page.
In fact, on March 17, a group of miscreants carried out an attack on the houses of a minority community in Noagaon village of Shalla upazila over his Facebook post.
On March 16, police detained Jhumon and produced him in court the very next day, showing his arrest in a case filed under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The court subsequently sent him to judicial custody.
Read: DSA: Order on Jhumon Das’s bail plea Thursday
But on March 22, police filed a case against him under DSA at the Shalla police station in Sunamganj and Jhumon was again shown as arrested a day later.
On March 30, he was taken on a two-day police remand in the case. On July 18, a magistrate's court rejected the bail petition of Jhumon.
Nearly a month later, Jhumon moved the High Court for bail in the case.
Jhumon Das gets bail in digital security case
The High Court on Thursday granted interim bail for a year to Jhumon Das in a case filed against him under the Digital Security Act.
A division bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar passed the order. On Tuesday, the High Court fixed Thursday for passing an order on the bail petition of Jhumon in the case.
Read: DSA: Order on Jhumon Das’s bail plea Thursday
Advocates ZI Khan Panna, Nahid Sultana and Ashraf Ali appeared for Jhumon, while assistant attorney general Mohammad Mizanur Rahman represented the state.
“The High Court granted bail to Jhumon, but he has been barred from leaving the country without the court's permission," Mizanur told reporters.
Jhumon has been in judicial custody since March 22, when he was arrested for posting defamatory remarks about then Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque on his Facebook page.
Read:Case under DSA: BNP leader Hafiz gets bail
In fact, on March 17, a group of miscreants carried out an attack on the houses of a minority community in Noagaon village of Shalla upazila over his Facebook post.
On March 16, police detained Jhumon and produced him in a court the very next day, showing his arrest in a case filed under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The court subsequently sent him to judicial custody.
But on March 22, police filed a case against him under DSA at the Shalla police station in Sunamganj and Jhumon was again shown as arrested a day later.
Read:HC grants anticipatory bail to 11 lawyers in a DSA case
On March 30, he was taken on a two-day police remand in the case. On July 18, a magistrate's court rejected the bail petition of Jhumon.
Nearly a month later, Jhumon moved the High Court for bail in the case.