BSS, Dhaka
The High Court on Wednesday 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.
