Staff Reporter :
Seven activists on Friday alleged that the accused in Digital Security Act was not getting bail in the legal process though the killers and looters of people’s money were getting bail.
The activists, who were earlier arrested under the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006 and Digital Security Act 2018, made the allegation in a statement saying that they were imprisoned under the repressive acts.
They pressed a four-point demand – reform of the ICT law, repeal of DSA, an immediate release of all arrested under the act and probe into the allegations of torture on cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore and writer Mushtaq Ahmed in custody.
They also demanded a proper, adequate, acceptable and independent judicial probe into the torture and death of writer Mushtaq in jail custody and publish the probe report officially to the people.
The activists said that they were seriously concerned about the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed and were anxious for all arrested under the law.
They referred to cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore, who alleged that he was tortured in the custody of law enforcement agencies after his detention on May 2. Kishore also revealed that writer Mushtaq Ahmed was tortured in custody by electric shock.
‘It is a serious violation of Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act, 2013 flouting High Court directives,’ the statement read. Terming the DSA an anti-people act, the statement said that the act was being used against people as a weapon of the oppressors.
Signatories of the statement are – acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam, journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajal, architect Golam Mahfuz Joardar, Rastrachinta member Didarul Bhuiyan, Chattogram University teacher Maidul Islam, road safety movement and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation’s Chattogram leaders Maruf Hossain and Azizur Rahman Asaf.
Mushtaq and Kishore were arrested in early May in a case under DSA for their social media posts criticising the government.
Mushtaq died in jail on February 25. Kishore was released on bail after 10 months on Thursday and was hospitalised.
