DSA
Rangpur: 1 arrested in Joypurhat under DSA, 42 for arson
Joypurhat police have arrested a person under the Digital Security Act (DSA) and 42 others in connection to attacks that took place in Rangpur against the minority Hindu community, in which their houses were set ablaze.
Poritosh Sarkar of Pirganj was arrested on Monday under DSA for spreading hate through social media posts that provoked people to set fire to the houses of the minorities, said additional police commissioner Kamruzzaman.
READ: Don’t resort to arson again in name of movement, Quader warns BNP
Till Monday night 42 others had been arrested in connection to arson, he said.
Attempts are being made to arrest the rest involved in the incident, he added.
READ: Arson attack on buses: 178 BNP men get anticipatory bail
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.
DSA: Order on Jhumon Das’s bail plea Thursday
The High Court on Tuesday fixed Thursday for passing an order on the bail petition of Jhumon Das in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
A HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar fixed the date after hearing on the petition.
Advocates ZI Khan Panna, Nahid Sultana and Ashraf Ali stood for Jhumon Das while assistant attorney general Mohammad Mizanur Rahman represented the state.
Jhumon was arrested in a case filed under DSA for posting defamatory remarks about then Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque on his Facebook page.
READ: HC orders investigation on assets and bank accounts of Rajarbagh Pir
The case was filed with Shalla Police Station in Sunamganj district.
On March 17, miscreants carried out an attack on the houses of minority people at Noagaon village in Shalla upazila over his Facebook post.
On March 16, police detained Jhumon Das and police produced him before a court showing him arrested in a case filed under section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) the next day. Then the court sent him to jail.
On March 22, police filed a case under DSA with Shalla police station and Jhumon was shown arrested in the case on March 23.
READ: HC grants anticipatory bail to 11 lawyers in a DSA case
On March 30, he was taken on a two-day remand in the case.
On July 18, a magistrate court rejected the bail petition of Jhumon.
Later, Jhumon filed a petition with the High Court seeking bail in the case.
Case under DSA: BNP leader Hafiz gets bail
A tribunal in Barishal on Tuesday granted bail to BNP Vice-Chairman Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed in a case filed under the Digital Security Act(DSA).
Cyber Tribunal Judge Golam Faruk passed the order after hearing a petition in the case.
Read: HC grants anticipatory bail to 11 lawyers in a DSA case
According to the case statement, Faridul Haque, president of Badarpur union unit Awami League of Lalmohan upazila in Bhola district filed a case against seven people including the BNP leader on December 28, 2018.
The case was filed under the DSA as a phone conversation between the BNP Leader and Babul Hawladar, another accused in the case, was leaked where the BNP leader made derogatory remarks about the national election.
UN to provide electoral assistance to Bangladesh if requested: Mia Seppo
UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo on Sunday said the United Nations (UN) will provide electoral assistance to Bangladesh only if there is any request on that particular front.
“The UN doesn’t provide electoral assistance unless we’re asked to provide,” she said, adding that the whole process depends on requests for electoral assistance but the UN does not just step in on its own.
UNRC Mia said the UN stands ready to support under the framework of cooperation if there is any request forthcoming.
Also read: World needs journalists more than ever: Mia Seppo
The UN Resident Coordinator was responding to questions at “DCAB Talk” organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the Foreign Service Academy.
Dhaka cyber court accepts charges against Kajol
A tribunal on Wednesday accepted charges against photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA) at Kamrangirchar Police Station.
Judge Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal accepted the charges and fixed October 20 for framing charges against Kajol in the case.
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 March 11.
Also read: Digital Security Act: Charges pressed against Kajol
After his 53 days of disappearance, Kajol was detained by Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) near the Benapole border on May 3 and produced in a Jashore court on the same day.
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.
Also read: Journalist Kajol freed from jail
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.
Launch movement for revoking DSA, Fakhrul urges journalists
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday urged journalists and professionals to launch a strong movement against all ‘repressive laws’, including the Digital Security Act.
“The media in Bangladesh have taken a different character. If you look at the print and electric media, you will find them in a sorry state. One or two newspapers who used to write freely, don’t dare doing that now,” he said.
The BNP leader also said the government has created a terrible situation with various ‘oppressive’ laws to suppress journalists and gag the media. “Let’s launch a movement to repeal all the repressive laws and the Digital Security Act.”
Also read: Govt keeping media busy with ‘dramas to hide failures’: BNP
He made the remarks at a discussion organised by Ruhul Amin Gazi Mukti Parishad demanding the release of the journalist leader at Jatiya Press Club.
Police arrested Ruhul Amin Gazi, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), under the DSA on October 21 last year.
Fakhrul suggested that journalists hold a convention in Dhaka demanding the release of Ruhul Amin Ghazi alongside intensifying the movement to have him freed.
He bemoaned that a group of journalists and the media owners have been desperately flattering the government to get its shelter and blessings. “This is the current situation of the country. It hurts me.”
The BNP leader said the government has taken a stance against people, independence and the constitution to turn the country into a truly failed state. “The current government has become a subservient and puppet one. So, people have now no freedom of speech and independence.”
He also alleged that the government is snatching people’s freedom of speech by procuring telephone-hacking tools from Israel.
Also read: Kamal demands abolition of DSA
"One thing we have to keep in mind is that there’s no alternative to a mass upsurge uniting people to get rid of the current situation of the country. We don't have weapons and we also don’t believe in armed struggle. We want to achieve the victory together with people,” the BNP leader added.
Fakhrul accused the government of politicising all state and democratic institutions. “Awami League is a party that never believed in democracy. This is the party that established the one-party Baksal rule in 1975 by banning all the parties and shutting down all the newspapers.”
He also said the government has failed to deliver on all fronts as it is focusing only on ‘corruption and plundering’ public money.
Speaking at the programme, Nagorik Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna urged BNP leaders and activists to continue a movement against the current regime. “It may not take a long time to ensure the fall of this regime,” he said.
He said the government’s weaknesses and its problems with police and administrations are getting exposed before people. “Anger against the government has been prevailing everywhere. They (govt) are losing grounds beneath their feet. No one will be able to resist the fall of this regime.”
Helena Jahangir placed on three-day remand
A Dhaka court on Friday placed ‘Joyjatra IPTV’ chairman Helena Jahangir on a three-day remand in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA).
The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury passed the order after investigation officer Sheikh Shahnur Rahman produced her before it, seeking a 5-day remand for interrogating her.
Earlier, the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) filed the case against her with Gulshan Police Station, ASP Imran Khan, assistant director (media) at the Rab headquarters, told UNB.
Details of the case will be made public soon, he said.
Read: Helena Jahangir held from Gulshan residence after Rab raid
Besides, Imran said, Rab is getting ready to file more cases against Helena who was removed from Awami League sub-committee on women affairs recently.
Rab members held Helena from her Gulshan residence on Thursday night, four days after she was removed from the AL sub-committee.
The elite force members "seized foreign liquor, illegal walkie-talkie sets, casino equipment and deer skins" during a four-hour raid on her home on Thursday, Rab Executive Magistrate Palash Kumar Basu said.
Rab also raided and sealed off Joyjatra IPTV.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said action will be taken soon against unregulated and unauthorized internet protocol televisions (IPTVs) across the country.
Read: Helena Jahangir loses AL membership for 'Chakrijibi League' links
Mahmud, also Awami League joint general secretary, said this while replying to a question from reporters at his official residence in Dhaka on Friday afternoon.
“Some IPTVs are often involved in spreading rumours, dishing out false information. It’s also seen that some people have opened offices of television channels and even appointed their district representatives before getting any government approval. All these issues need to be regulated,” said Mahmud.
About Helena, he said Helena Jahangir is chairman of Joyjatra IPTV. “This is not fair for such a person to enter any sub-committee of the party (AL),” he added.
Journalist held under DSA in Bogura
Bogura district correspondent of the daily Banijya Pratidin, Aktaruzzaman has been sent to jail under Digital Security Act (DSA).
Bogura Detective Branch police (DB) arrested him from his home at around 3 am on Sunday.
He was arrested and sent to jail for allegedly posting a status on Facebook about Bogura Sadar Family Planning Officer Dr. Samir Hossain Mishu.
Also read: 3 journos sued under DSA in Thakurgaon, one held
Rafiqul Islam, the father of the journalist said, “At 3 am, 12 DB policemen and Dr. Samir Hossain Mishu came to my house and took away my son. They did not say what the allegations were.” "I made many requests but they did not release my son," he added.
Sadar Police Station OC Mohammad Selim Reza said Shamima Akhter, a clerk at the Sadar Upazila Family Planning Office, filed a case against the journalist under DSA.
Also read: Khulna journalist sent to jail in DSA case
Akhtaruzzaman was sent to jail through the court on Sunday afternoon, he said.
Bogura Union of Journalists president Mirza Selim Reza and general secretary Ganesh Das, issued a statement strongly condemning and protesting the arrest of journalist Akhtaruzzaman and demanding his immediate release.
Thakurgaon journalist arrested under DSA gets bail
Tanvir Hasan Tanur, a journalist from Thakurgaon arrested under the Digital Security Act (DSA) has been granted bail.
Rejecting police application for a five-day remand, Thakurgaon Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Judge Arifur Rahman passed the order as police produced him before the court on Sunday.
For a report over the irregularities in the food provided to the Covid patients of Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital, Dr Mohammad Nadirul Islam Aziz, superintendent of the hospital filed a cased under DSA on July 9 against three journalists, said Sadar Police Station OC Tanvirul Islam.
Also read: 3 journos sued under DSA in Thakurgaon, one held
They were Thakurgaon district correspondent of Daily Ittefaq, Jago News 24 and Independent TV Tanvir Hasan Tanu, correspondent of Bangladesh Pratidin Abdul Latif Litu and correspondent of NewsBangla24.com Rahim Shuvo.
Tanu, also the office secretary of Thakurgaon Press Club and the president of Thakurgaon Online Journalists Association, was arrested at around 8:30 pm Saturday when he went to the police station for his query over the case.
Also read: Khulna journalist sent to jail in DSA case
Meanwhile, Thakurgaon Press Club, Thakurgaon Television Journalists Association, Thakurgaon Online Journalists Association members and other journalists of Thakurgaon strongly protested against the arrest of journalist Tanu under DSA.
Journalist leaders said, if the case under DSA was not withdrawn and he was not given unconditional release they would go for a harder movement.