A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to two bloggers, arrested in a case filed under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act-2006 for defaming Islam.Judge Mohammad Zahurul Haque of the Senior Special Judge’s Court passed the order following bail petitions filed by the two bloggers—Subrata Adhikari Shuvo and Russell Parvez Russell.
However, the two bloggers were not produced at the court due to the hartal enforced by Jamaat-e-Islami protesting the death sentence to its leader M Kamaruzzaman.
The two cases were filed against four bloggers—Mashiur Rahman Biplob, Russell Parvez Russell, Subrata Adhikari Shuvo and Asif Mohiuddin.
Detective Branch of police arrested three of the bloggers—Shuvo, Russel and Biplob—from different parts of the city on April 1 and Asif on April 2 for their alleged derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH).
Sonia Pervin, the lawyer of blogger Russell, told UNB that no bail petitions were filed for two other arrested bloggers—Asif Mohiuddin and Mashiur Rahman Biplob on Sunday.
The court took cognisance of the charges against Biplob, Russell and Shuvo in a case while deferred the charge acceptance hearing against Asif Mohiuddin in another case due to the absence of his lawyer.
Barrister Joytirmoy Barua and Sonia Parvin stood for the three bloggers.
Police filed two cases—one against Asif and another against three other bloggers—on April 17 for defaming Islam and the Prophet (PBUH).
The cases were transferred to Dhaka’s Sessions Judge Court from a CMM court on April 23. UNB
