A Dhaka court on Wednesday framed charge against human rights organisation Odhikar’s director Nasir Uddin Elan and its secretary Adilur Rahman Khan Shuvro in a case filed under the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Act.Newly-formed Dhaka Cyber Crime Tribunal’s Judge KM Shamsul Alam indicted them in the case filed with Gulshan Police Station for publishing ‘fake, distorted and defamatory’ information under section 57 (1) (2) of the ICT Act.
The court also fixed January 22 for deposition by prosecution witnesses in the case.
Defence lawyer M Asaduzzaman filed a discharge petition on behalf of his clients, which was turned down by the court. Meanwhile, the accused are on bail granted earlier by the High Court.
The two Odhikar functionaries were booked under Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act on the incident of Hifazate maheyem.
On August 10, plainclothes police arrested Adilur Rahman Khan from near his Gulshan residence.
The tribunal judge took the charges into cognizance on September 11.Adil secured bail from the High Court on Oct 11. The tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Elan, who surrendered to the tribunal on November 6 and was sent to prison.
A report by rights group Odhikar claimed 61 people had been killed in the drive by police and security forces at Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar, where Hifazat-e Islam supporters were on an indefinite sit-in on May 5. – Court Correspondent
