Govt seeks stay on HC’s stay on probes against Shahidul Alam

The government on Wednesday sought the Appellate Division’s permission to appeal against the High Court Division’s stay on the Detective Branch’s probes against social activist and acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam in a case under the repealed draconian Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act.
In a separate application the Government also prayed to stay the High Court Division’s stay on DB’s investigations against Shahidul Alam.
Both the applications of the government would be moved at the bench of vacation judge Justice Hasan Foez Siddique on March 25, the attorney general’s office said.
On March 14, the High Court Division stayed DB’s probes against Shahidul Alam and in a ruling asked the home secretary, the inspector general of police, the DB, Ramna police station officer-in-charge and the Dhaka chief metropolitan magistrate to explain in four weeks why the probes under the repealed Section 57 of ICT Act would not be declared as illegal as the repealed Section was contradictory to the Section 61(2) of the Digital Security Act 2018 and ultra vires to fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution in articles 27, 31and 39.
On the midnight of August 5, 2017, DB men in plain clothes picked up 63-year Shahidul Alam from his Dhanmondi residence without showing any warrant or ground.
Fifteen hours after he was picked up, the DB filed a case against him under the now repealed Section 57 of the ICT Act which was later replaced by the Digital Security Act.
In the case, DB alleged that Shahidul Alam had instigated school children’s movement for road safety in July 2018.
Shahidul Alam was detained in Dhaka Central Jail for 108 days and released on bail on November 20, 2018 on High Court Division’s order.

News Courtesy: wwwnewagebd.net