The High Court has stayed for six months the trial proceedings against Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman regarding the death of Naimul Abrar, student of Dhaka's Residential Model School and College (DRMC).
The virtual High Court bench of justice Md Rezaul Huq and justice Md Atuar Rahman issued this directive today, Sunday, while giving the ruling in the hearing of the petition to dismiss the case.
Following the High Court order, the Prothom Alo editor’s legal counsel Mustafizur Rahman told Prothom Alo that the investigation report had no allegations of Matiur Rahman being involved in the incident. He was not even present at the location of the incident, nor was he in charge of the event’s management or supervision. He had nothing to do with the electrical management of the event either. Neither had any witness mentioned Matiur Rahman’s name.
There was no basis for the charges brought against him, the lawyer said, and that was why the petition had been made to dismiss charges.
The Prothom Alo editor on 6 December filed a petition with the High Court, seeking for the case to be dismissed. Then on 10 December and today, Sunday, the hearing in this regard was held and the order passed.
Senior lawyer Rokan Uddin Mahmud and Mustafizur Rahman attended the hearing in court on behalf of the Prothom Alo editor. They were assisted by lawyers Harunur Rashid, Aftab Uddin Siddiqui and Prasanta Karmakar. Deputy attorney general Saifuddin Khaled stood in as state prosecution.
The court rule also questioned why the trial proceedings of the case would not be dropped. The state prosecution was asked to give a reply to the rule.
The Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge court had formed charges against nine persons, including the Prothom Alo editor, in the incident of Naimul’s death. The court dropped charges against editor of Kishor Alo, Anisul Hoque. And 14 December was fixed for hearing of witnesses in the case.
On 1 November last year, the event marking Kishor Alo’s anniversary was held at the grounds of Residential Model School and College. Naimul, a student of the school, was electrocuted there on that day. He was rushed to hospital where the physician declared him dead.
Naimul’s father on 6 November filed a case with the Dhaka CMM court. Then on 16 January this year, police submitted its report to the court against 10 persons, including Prothom Alo editor, Kishor Alo editor and others.