Charges pressed against author Taslima Nasrin, 2 others in ICT case

Exiled author Taslima Nasrin and two others have been charged by Counter Terorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit in a case filed under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act.

Nazmul Nishat, inspector of CTTC and investigation officer in the case, filed the charge sheet with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on 3 October, said general registration division of the court on Thursday.

Two other accused are Supriti Dhar Lipa, editor of online portal Women Chapter and Suchismita Simanti, its acting editor.

According to sources, the investigation officer recommended acquitting another accused Leena Haque, a counsellor of the Women's Chapter, finding no evidence against her.

On 19 April, 2018, Allama Muhammad Mahbub Alam, editor of the monthly Al Bayanat filed a case against the four including Taslima with cyber tribunal.

The court recorded the statement of the plaintiff and ordered Shahjahanpur police station to record the case as First Information Report.

According to the complaint, Supriti Dhar, Suchismita Simanti and Leena Haque have often published hateful writings against Islam through a website named the Women Chapter.

On the afternoon of 17 April, 2018, an article by Taslima Nasrin was published on the website, it said.