High Court order on Shahidul division facilities upheld
STAFF REPORTER
The Appellate Division yesterday upheld the High Court order asking the authorities concerned to provide first class division to the noted photographer Shahidul Alam in jail. The chamber court of the Appellate Division Justice Imman Ali dropped the state petition from its hearing list, which was filed by the state seeking stay on the HC order.
However, the chamber judge asked the government to move a leave to appeal petition before the Supreme Court against the High Court order. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, one of the counsels for Shahidul, told reporters that the previous High Court order that facilitated Shahidul with division in jail will remain in force now following the chamber court order.
Earlier on September 5, the HC directed the authorities concerned to provide first division to Shahidul Alam. Barrister Sara Hossain, another counsel for Shahidul, said that being an eminent personality and a celebrated photojournalist, Shahidul Alam, PhD in chemistry was legally entitled to get division one jail facilities under Rule 910 of the Jail Code but the authorities denied him his legal right.
She also said that the jail authorities also flouted the order given by the chief metropolitan magistrate court on August 27 asking them to grant his division according to the jail code. On August 5, detectives arrested Shahidul Alam from his Dhanmondi residence and a case was filed against him with Ramna police station on the following day. He was also placed on a seven-day remand in the case. Police claimed that he had spread propaganda through his Facebook account during the student movement demanding safe roads.
