Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Monday fixed March 3 for delivering order on a bail petition filed by cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore in connection with a case filed under Digital Security Act (DSA).
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after holding hearing on the bail petition filed in this regard.
Writer Mushtaq Ahmed, another accused of the case, died at night on February 25 last in the Kashimpur High Security Jail-3 in Gazipur in the same case. He had been locked up for over nine months in the custody. During the hearing on the bail petition, the court also directed the petitioners’ lawyer to inform it with an affidavit about the death of Mushtaq Ahmed as bail was also sought for Mushtaq in the same petition.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared in the court on behalf of the bail petitioners, while deputy attorney general Sarwar Hossain Bappy represented the state. When lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua reported Mushtaq’s death in the court verbally, then the court asked him to inform it through an affidavit.
Mr Jyotirmoy said, “We filed the bail petition for the two accused. First petitioner is Ahmed Kabir Kishore and second petitioner is Mushtaq Ahmed. But Mushtaq Ahmed died on February 25 last in the Kashimpur High Security Jail-3 in Gazipur. So now I am placing the petition on behalf of Kishore.”
Then the court said, “It will be better if you can say it through an affidavit. It needs to have a record since it would be abated. We are keeping the case for order on the day after tomorrow (Wednesday).”
A total of 11 people, including Kishore, Mushtaq and Rashtrochinta activist Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, were prosecuted under the DSA by Rab-3’s Assistant Director Abu Bakar Siddique on May 6 last year.
Didarul and Mihaj were granted bail in September last year, Mushtaq died in custody on February 25 last and Kishore has been behind bars for nine months.
During the hearing the lawyer also said, “How law and order deteriorated by the doings of Kishore Ahmed there is no mention of it in anywhere of the FIR. Even there is no description in this FIR as to how his doings mislead the people.”
“He is a cartoonist. It is nothing new that a cartoonist draws cartoon over different issues criticizing the various actions of those in government. He is also a rights activist. He is working for the third gendered people.”
If there is any confusion in the new law, the accused will get the benefit of it, not the police, added the lawyer.
He also said, “Appearing in a trial court on February 23 last, Ahmed Kabir Kishore informed us that he had been physically tortured in custody. His right ear has become almost useless due to torture. Injuries to the left leg caused by the torture have now reached the stage of soreness.”
“We mentioned all those descriptions in the trial courts. But we didn’t get bail. Another accused died due to his sickness. He is also seriously sick.”
After hearing the lawyer the court fixed Wednesday for delivering order over the issue.
