Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Sunday issued a rule asking the government to explain in a week as to why renowned photographer Shahidul Alam should not be granted bail in a case filed against him Under Section 57 of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act.
The HC Bench of Justice A K M Asaduzzaman and Justice S M Mozibur Rahman passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Shahidul seeking bail in the case.
Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah said that the HC would decide after hearing the rule whether Shahidul would get bail in the case lodged for “spreading propaganda and false information against the government”.
Shahidul, 63, who is now in Dhaka Central Jail, submitted the bail petition to the HC through his lawyers on September 18, saying that he was ill and he would not leave the country if he is granted bail in the case.
In the petition, he also said the Section 57 of the ICT Act does not cover the allegations brought against him in the case.
Earlier on September 10, the High Court Bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman ordered the lower court to dispose of Shahidul Alam’s bail petition by September 11.
Following the HC order, on September 11, the trial court rejected the bail petition of Shahidul in the same case filed with Ramna Police Station on August 5.
Then Shahidul’s lawyer moved to the HC and filed the petition on September 14.
Shahidul Alam, 63, is now in Dhaka Central Jail in the case lodged under the controversial Section 57 of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act.
Police charged him with “spreading propaganda and false information against the government” during the student protest for safe road.
He was picked up by plainclothes men from his home in the capital’s Dhanmondi on August 5.
Police filed the case and produced him in a Dhaka court the following day. He was then placed on a seven-day remand.
According to the case statement, Shahidul in a Facebook live video said: “The present AL [Awami League] government is non-elected and so [it] does not have any mandate to continue. Bank looting is conducted by the people in power and their associates. Extra-judicial killing is conducted every now and then.”
The case statement also said, “Personally he believes that without the Caretaker Government no free, fair and neutral election is possible in Bangladesh. So, the present government must be overthrown.”
In the court, Shahidul said, he was tortured in custody. Police, however, denied the charge.
On completion of his seven-day remand, Shahidul was refused bail and sent to jail by a Dhaka court on August 12.
Barrister Sara Hossain, Advocate Dr Shahdeen Malik and Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for Shahidul, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed the bail petition.
