Individuals from now on should be careful in posting status, photos and videos on social networking sites including facebook, Twitter and blogs as the government, in its latest move to curb terrorism, has passed the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill-2013.The amended Act will allow the court to accept videos, still photos and audio clips from social media on internet as evidence.
The present Act surpasses the existing Evidence Act that does not allow for such a kind of material as evidence in a court of law.
As per the law, police will now be able to instantly start investigation into incidents and file a case against anyone for crimes committed under the law. Later the court can award someone a 14-year jail if found guilty.
On Tuesday, parliament passed the Act amid a boycott by the BNP-led opposition lawmakers. BNP staged token walk-out protesting the Act.
Earlier, Hizb-ut-Tahrir activist Farabi Shafiur Rahman, also a student of Chittagong University, was arrested for issuing death threat to an imam for conducting the namaz-e-janaza of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider.
Court also framed the charge against him under Penal Code 506 and section 57 (2) of ICT Act.
On February 15, the heavily stabbed body of Ahmed Rajib Haider, the 30-year-old blogger and activist of the ongoing Shahbagh movement in demand of death punishment to the war criminals, was found dead near his residence in Pallabi area of the city.
On August 13 in 2011, Jahangirnagar University teacher Ruhul Amin gave a status on facebook writing that “5 people Tarek and Mishuk Munir killed for giving license without test: everybody dies, why Hasina doesn’t die?”
A news report was published on August 18 of the same year saying “Arrogance of a JU teacher”. Court issued a sou-moto rule and later issued court contempt rule when the teacher didn’t appear before the court.
Later the court awarded him 6-month rigorous imprisonment when Ruhul Amin didn’t appear on three more call. He is now residing in Australia taking leave with out pay. (Source: Banglanews2.com)
