OC Moazzem seeks bail from HC

Sonagazi police station officer-in-charge Moazzem Hossain (L) and Nusrat Jahan Rafi. UNB File Photo
Sonagazi police station officer-in-charge Moazzem Hossain (L) and Nusrat Jahan Rafi. UNB File Photo

Former Sonagazi police station officer-in-charge Moazzem Hossain on Tuesday sought bail from the High Court in a case filed under the Digital Security Act, reports UNB.

The plea was filed before the bench of justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and justice Md Ashraful Kamal. It is scheduled to be heard next week.

Advocate Ahsan Ullah and Salma Sultana stood for Moazzem while attorney general Mahbubey Alam represented the state.

The former OC is accused of unlawfully interrogating Feni madrasa girl Nusrat Jahan Rafi and recording the incident on phone. A video of the incident went viral on the social media.

Supreme Court lawyer Syeddul Haque Sumon filed the case against Moazzem under the Digital Security Act on 15 April.

The former OC was withdrawn and later suspended on 10 May.

A tribunal ordered his arrest on 27 May after investigators found allegations brought against him to be true. He was arrested on 16 June from Shahbagh in Dhaka.

The next day, the Cyber Tribunal rejected his bail plea and sent him to jail.

Moazzem had summoned Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa's principal Siraj ud Doula and Nusrat, who accused the teacher of sexually harassing her.

Nusrat's mother had filed a case with Sonagazi police station in connection with her daughter's sexual harassment.

The OC interrogated Nusrat in the absence of her lawyer or any other woman and used inappropriate language.

The girl was set on fire on 6 April at an exam centre, reportedly by people loyal to Siraj ud Doula. She died on 10 April at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.