Afsan Chy gets anticipatory bail in case filed under section 57

The High Court yesterday granted anticipatory bail to BRAC University teacher Afsan Chowdhury for four weeks in a case filed under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, 2006.

The court also asked Afsan Chowdhury, also a journalist, to surrender before the lower court concerned after four weeks in connection with the case.

The bench of Justice Zinat Ara and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman gave the order following a petition filed by Prof Afsan seeking anticipatory bail in the case.

He appeared before the HC bench yesterday for bail in the case.

Deputy Attorney General Moniruzzaman Rubel told The Daily Star that Lt Gen (retd) Masud Uddin Chowdhury filed the case against Prof Afsan with Gulshan Police Station on charge of posting “false and derogatory” comment on facebook on May 7.

According to Section 57, if any person deliberately publishes or transmits false, obscene and derogatory information on any website or in any other electronic form, he or she will be sentenced to seven to 14 years' imprisonment and fined up to Tk 1 crore.

The government will not move any appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC order of bail to Prof Afsan, as he will have to surrender to the trial court after four weeks, Moniruzzaman added.

Advocate M Asaduzzaman appeared for Afsan Chowdhury.