After scrutinising the case docket (CD) and other relevant documents, Metropolitan Magistrate Mir Ali Reza accepted the final report and discharged them from the charges.

On May 17, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police submitted a probe report exonerating Shahriar Kabir and six others.

CID Inspector Masud Karim, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the final report before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM), Dhaka.

The other six accused in the case are British journalist Zaiba Naz Malik, Italian journalist Leopoldo Bruno Sorrentino, social welfare activist Pricilla Raj, freelance journalist Saleem Samad, Tofael Ahmed and advocate Rana Das Gupta.

On November 25, 2002, police arrested the two Channel 4 journalists on sedition charges while they were crossing into India from Bangladesh through the Benapole border in Jessore.

The two foreign journalists came to Bangladesh to film a current affairs programme for Channel 4 about the reported al-Qaeda presence in Bangladesh. During their arrest at the Benapole border, customs authorities seized films and other documents from them, which were allegedly "intended for tarnishing the image of Bangladesh".

Shahriar Kabir, Pricilla Raj, Saleem Samad and others were arrested on charge of assisting the Channel 4 journalists. They were later granted bail from different courts on different dates.

A sedition case was filed with Motijheel Police Station on November 15, 2002 against the two foreign journalists, Pricilla and Saleem.

On December 11, 2002, the government deported Zaiba Naz Malik and Leopoldo Bruno Sorrentino following their undertaking that they would not broadcast any of the material collected from the country.