HC grants bail to Shahidul

The High Court (HC) yesterday granted bail to internationally acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam in connection with a case filed under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act. The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal and Justice Bhismadev Chakrabortty passed the verdict after the final hearing on a petition filed by Shahidul seeking bail in the case. Defence lawyer barrister Sara Hossain said that there was no legal bar in Shahidul Alam’s release from jail following the High Court (HC) order. However, attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters that his office would move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) seeking a stay on the HC verdict.

In its order, the HC bench yesterday said that it scrutinised all the documents submitted by the prosecution and the defence. The court also said that it scrutinised the statements for which the case had been filed against Shahidul Alam on charges of instigation and false propaganda during the student movement demanding safe roads.

The HC bench further said it found that Shahidul Alam had not made any inflammatory statements in his comments published in an international media outlets like Al Jazeera. It pointed out that though the case was filed more than three months ago, there was no progress in its investigation.

The HC bench said that it granted Shahidul’s bail petition considering that the 63-year-old photographer had been suffering in jail for more than 100 days and given the uncertainty of the investigation process. Earlier, on September 19 this year, barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, one of the counsels for Shahidul, had filed a petition with the HC, seeking bail for the imprisoned photographer.

After primary hearing, the HC bench in October issued a rule asking the government why Shahidul should not be granted regular bail in the case. After the final hearing on the rule, the HC bench yesterday granted permanent bail to Shahidul in the case.

It was Shahidul Alam’s second bail plea moved before the HC in a case filed under the controversial ICT Act for “spreading propaganda against the government”. Shahidul moved before the HC bench for bail after a Dhaka court on September 11 rejected his bail petition in a case filed against him under the ICT Act on the charge of spreading propaganda and false information against the government. Shahidul Alam was detained by plainclothes police from his home for giving an interview to Al Jazeera about student protests which he documented and discussed in Facebook Live on August 5.

 

HC grants bail to Shahidul

The High Court (HC) yesterday granted bail to internationally acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam in connection with a case filed under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act. The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Abdul Awal and Justice Bhismadev Chakrabortty passed the verdict after the final hearing on a petition filed by Shahidul seeking bail in the case. Defence lawyer barrister Sara Hossain said that there was no legal bar in Shahidul Alams release from jail following the High Court (HC) order. However, attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters that his office would move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) seeking a stay on the HC verdict. In its order, the HC bench yesterday said that it scrutinised all the documents submitted by the prosecution and the defence. The court also said that it scrutinised the statements for which the case had been filed against Shahidul Alam on charges of instigation and false propaganda during the student movement demanding safe roads. The HC bench further said it found that Shahidul Alam had not made any inflammatory statements in his comments published in an international media outlets like Al Jazeera. It pointed out that though the case was filed more than three months ago, there was no progress in its investigation. The HC bench said that it granted Shahiduls bail petition considering that the 63-year-old photographer had been suffering in jail for more than 100 days and given the uncertainty of the investigation process. Earlier, on September 19 this year, barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, one of the counsels for Shahidul, had filed a petition with the HC, seeking bail for the imprisoned photographer. After primary hearing, the HC bench in October issued a rule asking the government why Shahidul should not be granted regular bail in the case. After the final hearing on the rule, the HC bench yesterday granted permanent bail to Shahidul in the case. It was Shahidul Alams second bail plea moved before the HC in a case filed under the controversial ICT Act for spreading propaganda against the government. Shahidul moved before the HC bench for bail after a Dhaka court on September 11 rejected his bail petition in a case filed against him under the ICT Act on the charge of spreading propaganda and false information against the government. Shahidul Alam was detained by plainclothes police from his home for giving an interview to Al Jazeera about student protests which he documented and discussed in Facebook Live on August 5.