Prothom Alo editor submits bail bond in court
Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman, who has been made accused in a case filed under Digital Security Act (DSA), has submitted bail bond at the court.
The bail bond was submitted at the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Asaduzzaman on Wednesday.
At the same time, the Prothom Alo editor pleaded for bail in the case appearing before the court. The court will hear on the bail on 16 August. Until then Matiur Rahman will be on bail.
Prothom Alo editor’s lawyer Prashanta Kumar Karmaker confirmed this to Prothom Alo.
Lawyer Ehsanul Haque Samaji defended Matiur Rahman in the hearing for his bail at the court. He told the court that the High Court has granted anticipatory bail to the Prothom Alo editor.
As per the order of the High Court, he (Matiur Rahman) is seeking permission of the court to submit his bail bond and at the same time he has pleaded for bail. He has not committed any crime, Ehsanul Haque Samaji added.
After hearing from the both sides, the court fixed 16 August as the date of next hearing.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, lawyer Ehsanul Haque Samaji said the Prothom Alo editor has submitted the bail plea and he will be on bail until the next date of hearing.
Besides, Ehsanul Haque Samaji and Prashanta Kumar Karmaker, Bahauddin Al Imran and Mahmudul Hasan represented the Prothom Alo editor at the court.
Lawyer Abdul Malek (Mashiur Malek) filed the lawsuit against Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman and Savar staff correspondent Samsuzzaman at Ramna police station under the Digital Security Act on 29 March midnight.
The High Court on 2 April granted six weeks anticipatory bail to the Prothom Alo editor in the case. Savar staff correspondent Samsuzzaman in the same case got bail after staying behind bars for a few days.
A ‘graphics card’ was prepared with contents from a report of Prothom Alo Online for sharing in its Facebook page on 26 March. The card used a quote of day labourer Zakir Hossain. It used a photograph of a child, Sabuj, who was waiting outside of the closed gate of National Mausoleum in Savar.
The original report had a quote of the child as well. Both the quotes of the child and day labourer Zakir were separately placed in the original report. But Prothom Alo took down the ‘graphics card’ quickly from its Facebook page apprehending it would give birth to confusion among the readers. A note of correction was also published below the online report.
Later, Ekattor Television aired a report about the Prothom Alo report. Following this, a team of around 14-15 people went to the house of Samsuzzaman near Jahangirnagar University in Savar at around 4:00 am on 29 March.
They identified themselves as members of police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), searched the room of Samsuzzaman and seized his laptop, two mobile phones, and a portable hard disk. Later, they picked Samsuzzaman up from his residence and kept him at an undisclosed location. Whereabouts of Samsuzzaman could not be found for 30 hours.
However, it was learned in the afternoon on 29 March that the general secretary of ward no. 11 of Dhaka north city unit Jubo League, Syed Md. Golam Kibria, filed a case against Samsuzzaman under Digital Security Act with Tejgaon police station in Dhaka at 2:15 am that day. Jubo League is the youth wing of ruling Bangladesh Awami League. He was also a member of the central committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling party.
However, police on 30 March morning shown Samsuzzaman arrested in the case filed with Ramna police station after 30 hours of picking up and produced before the court. Prothom Alo editor was also made an accused in the case.