Lawyers’ petition to meet ex-Sonagazi OC dismissed
Lawyers of former officer-in-charge of Sonagazi Police Station Moazzem Hossain were not allowed yesterday to meet him to discuss about the case filed on charges of filming a statement of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi and circulating the clip on social media.
Judge Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of Dhaka Cyber Tribunal dismissed the petition after Moazzem’s lawyers submitted it, seeking permission to talk to their client about the case in presence of police at the court prison.
The tribunal, however, granted another petition of the defence to supply a copy of a USB memory drive in which Nusrat’s statement was recorded by their client.
It set July 10 for hearing on charge framing against Moazzem after his lawyer submitted a petition, seeking adjournment of hearing.
Moazzem was produced before the court for the hearing at 2:15pm, amid tight security.
On April 15, Supreme Court lawyer Syed Sayedul Haque Suman filed the case against Moazzem under Digital Security Act, for recording the statement of sexual assault victim Nusrat on camera without her consent, and circulating it on social media.
The tribunal then directed Police Bureau of Investigation to investigate the matter and submit a probe report. PBI submitted the report on May 27, saying that the charges brought against the former OC were found to be true.
According to the probe report, Moazzem himself had recorded the video on camera and later passed the footage to someone else. The footage show that Moazzem was asking Nusrat “insulting” questions.
The same day, the tribunal issued a warrant against Moazzem, who went into hiding.
On June 16, police arrested Moazzem from the Supreme Court area and he was sent to jail the next day, rejecting his bail in the case.
Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa in Feni’s Sonagazi upazila, was set ablaze on April 6 allegedly for refusing to withdraw a case filed against the madrasa principal for sexually harassing her.
She died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on April 10.
The same day, Moazzem was withdrawn as Nusrat’s family alleged he was not cooperating with them. He was suspended on May 8 over negligence of duty and attached to the office of DIG (Rangpur range).
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