A college teacher has been languishing in Kushtia jail for 18 days in a case filed under the Digital Security Act for his alleged ‘adverse’ remarks on Awami League leaders.
He is Rajibul Alam, a computer science teacher of Pakshi Railway College in Pabna. He was already taken one day remand.
According to a case filed with Kushtia Model Police Station, Shad Ahmed, a political science teacher of the same College in Ishwardi of Pabna, made a Facebook post on December 6, 2020 over damaging sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by miscreants in Kushtia on December 4. His status was: ‘Status of the father crushed by the poisonous teeth of the snake kept in the house with food and shelter. This poisonous tooth of Hefajat must be uprooted ‘.
Rajibul Alam commented on the status involving Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif and his brother Ata (Ataur Rahman Ata, general secretary of Kushtia town unit also chairman of Kushtia sadar upazila parishad).
This remarks angered to Kushtia Sadar Upazila Juba League leader Mizanur Rahman Mizu. Mizu filed a case against Rajibul at Kushtia Model Police Station on December 14 under Section 25 (2) / 29 (1) / 31 (2) of the Digital Security Act 2018 along with screenshots of the status and comment.
Rajibul’s lawyer Advocate Enamul Haque told to The Daily Star that Rajibul was granted eight weeks bail by the High Court in the case. At the end of the bail period, he was asked to appear in the lower court. As per the court order, Rajibul appeared in the Kushtia Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court on February 18 and applied for bail. Judge Syed Habibul Islam denied the bail and ordered him to be sent to jail.
On March 3, teacher Rajibul was brought to the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rezaul Karim. At that time, Sub-Inspector of Kushtia Model Police Station, Masudur Rahman, also the investigating officer (IO) of the case, applied for remand of five days. After the hearing, the court granted one day remand to Rajibul.
Kushtia Court Police Inspector Shahinur Rahman said Rajibul was sent back to jail on March 7 after a one-day remand.
Rajibul’s lawyer Advocate Enamul Haque told the Daily Star, ‘We will apply for bail following the rules. He did not file the case as mentioned in the status comment on Facebook. I hope the college teacher will get justice.
“I want my husband’s bail,” Rajibul’s wife Asma Khatun told the Daily Star.
The comment made by teacher Rajibul has been removed from the Facebook status of the original poster Shad Ahmed.
