Cartoonist Kishore to file no-confidence petition against PBI report

A Dhaka court has allowed cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore to file a no-confidence petition against Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) report which found no evidence that he was picked up by some people and suffered physical and mental torture in May last year.

Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge KM Emrul Kayesh on Wednesday granted Kishore’s petition and set 23 February for filing the no-confidence appeal, confirmed additional public prosecutor Taposh Kumar Pal of Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge court.

Earlier on 17 October, investigation officer of the case and superintendent of police of PBI Mohammad Mizanur Rahman submitted a report saying that there was no evidence of his abduction and torture on him.

According to the PBI report, Kishore's allegations of torture against 16-17 unnamed people were not primarily proved.

On 20 March, a three-member medical board of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) submitted a report to the court saying that they did not find any sign of torture on Kishore's body.

The medical board comprised of professor Sheikh Nurul Fattah Rumi of ENT, professor Fakhrul Amin Khan of orthopaedics and professor Mohammad Hafiz Sardar of medicine departments.

On 10 March, Kishore filed a complaint before Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court against unnamed members of law enforcement agencies, alleging torture after being arrested in a case under the Digital Security Act.

Later on 14 March, judge KM Emrul Kayesh directed the director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital to form a three-member committee. He also directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the case.

RAB arrested Kishore from Lalmatia on 5 May 2020 on charges of spreading disinformation against the government on social media.