Sued Under DSA: Journo Kajol placed on 2-day remand

Shafiqul Islam Kajol

 A virtual court in Dhaka yesterday placed photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol on a two-day remand in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

Earlier in the day, Kajol was also shown arrested in the case filed with Hazaribagh Police Station.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Debdash Chandra Adhikary passed the remand order after a hearing through videoconferencing with authorities of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

During the yesterday's hearing, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Rasel Mollah of the Detective Branch of police and also investigation officer of the case, prayed for a 10-day remand.

In the remand prayer, SI Rasel said Kajol should be placed on remand to recover his Facebook account and arrest his accomplices.

Opposing the prosecution plea, defence lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua submitted a petition seeking bail along with cancellation of the remand, adding that his client was implicated in the case as part of a conspiracy to harass him.

Moreover, his client has been in jail since his arrest on May 3 from Benapole. So, he appealed to the court to cancel the remand prayer and grant him bail, Barua added.

After the hearing, the magistrate rejected the bail petition and placed Kajol on a two-day remand for interrogation.

Usmin Ara Beli, a member of Bangladesh Jubo Mahila League's Central Committee, on March 10 filed the case against Kajol.

On June 23, Kajol was shown arrested in a case filed against him with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

The case was filed by ruling party lawmaker from Magura-1 Saifuzzaman Shikhor.

The next day, another virtual court in Dhaka rejected Kajol's bail petition through videoconferencing.

Another case was also filed with Kamrangirchar Police Station against Kajol under the same act.

But the investigation officer of the case is yet to submit any petition to show him arrested in the case.

Fifty-three days into his disappearance, Kajol was found by Border Guard Bangladesh in Benapole on May 3.

He was then arrested initially on charges of trespassing, but was granted bail by a Jashore court.

However, that same evening he was shown held under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure after police informed the court that three more cases against Kajol were now pending with different police stations in the capital.

The court then sent him to Jashore jail.