Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Thursday granted bail to photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in two separate cases filed under the Digital Security Act.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after holding hearing on two separate petitions filed by Kajol seeking bail in the cases lodged with Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar police stations.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua who appeared in the court on behalf of Kajol told the reporters that now there is no legal bar for his client to get released from jail following the HC verdict.
Earlier on November 24 this year the same HC bench granted him bail in a case filed under the Digital Security Act by Saifuzzaman Shikhor, a ruling party lawmaker from Magura-1, with Sher-E-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka on March 9 this year.
The HC bench granted bail to Kajol in the cases, as the investigation officer did not take permission from the Cyber Tribunal to probe the cases after 75 days of filing them.
The court said, it will give a directive to the inspector general of police to take necessary steps to train the investigation officers about the provisions of the laws and the rules for investigation of relevant cases.
Justice M Enayetur Rahim said Kajol can question the jurisdiction of the investigation officer for continuing the probe into the cases.
Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi told the court that the investigation officer did not take permission from the Cyber Tribunal as he might be unaware of the provision of the law. Investigation officer Md Russell Mollah is a new police officer, he added.
Lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told the HC that Kajol, who is a renowned photojournalist, has been languishing in jail for a long period, but the investigation officer is continuing probe in violation of the provision of the law.
The accused petitioner has right to life under the Constitution and therefore, he might be granted bail in the cases.
A case was filed against 32 persons under the Digital Security Act with Sher-E-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka on March 9 this year by Saifuzzaman Shikhor, a ruling party lawmaker from Magura-1, after publishing a report in Bangla daily Manab Zamin.
Two more cases were filed against them under the same act with Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar police stations on March 10 and 11 respectively.
After filing the cases journalist Kajol went missing. Fifty-three days into his disappearance, Kajol was found by Border Guard Bangladesh in Benapole on May 3 this year.
He was produced in the court on June 23 in the case filed with the Sher-E-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka, but the court rejected his bail petition.
Then he moved to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka and this court also rejected his petition on August 24.
Finally he moved the High Court on September 8. After primary hearing the High Court on October 19 issued a rule over his bail. Upon hearing the rule, the High Court on Thursday granted him bail and declared the rule absolute.
The High Court on Thursday granted bail to photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in two separate cases filed under the Digital Security Act.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after holding hearing on two separate petitions filed by Kajol seeking bail in the cases lodged with Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar police stations.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua who appeared in the court on behalf of Kajol told the reporters that now there is no legal bar for his client to get released from jail following the HC verdict.
Earlier on November 24 this year the same HC bench granted him bail in a case filed under the Digital Security Act by Saifuzzaman Shikhor, a ruling party lawmaker from Magura-1, with Sher-E-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka on March 9 this year.
The HC bench granted bail to Kajol in the cases, as the investigation officer did not take permission from the Cyber Tribunal to probe the cases after 75 days of filing them.
The court said, it will give a directive to the inspector general of police to take necessary steps to train the investigation officers about the provisions of the laws and the rules for investigation of relevant cases.
Justice M Enayetur Rahim said Kajol can question the jurisdiction of the investigation officer for continuing the probe into the cases.
Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi told the court that the investigation officer did not take permission from the Cyber Tribunal as he might be unaware of the provision of the law. Investigation officer Md Russell Mollah is a new police officer, he added.
Lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told the HC that Kajol, who is a renowned photojournalist, has been languishing in jail for a long period, but the investigation officer is continuing probe in violation of the provision of the law.
The accused petitioner has right to life under the Constitution and therefore, he might be granted bail in the cases.
A case was filed against 32 persons under the Digital Security Act with Sher-E-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka on March 9 this year by Saifuzzaman Shikhor, a ruling party lawmaker from Magura-1, after publishing a report in Bangla daily Manab Zamin.
Two more cases were filed against them under the same act with Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar police stations on March 10 and 11 respectively.
After filing the cases journalist Kajol went missing. Fifty-three days into his disappearance, Kajol was found by Border Guard Bangladesh in Benapole on May 3 this year.
He was produced in the court on June 23 in the case filed with the Sher-E-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka, but the court rejected his bail petition.
Then he moved to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka and this court also rejected his petition on August 24.
Finally he moved the High Court on September 8. After primary hearing the High Court on October 19 issued a rule over his bail. Upon hearing the rule, the High Court on Thursday granted him bail and declared the rule absolute.
