Circulating Video of Nusrat: Ex-Sonagazi OC pleads innocence
Moazzem Hossain, former officer-in-charge of Sonagazi Police Station, yesterday claimed to be innocent in the incident of circulating a video clip of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi being interrogated.
He also demanded justice, after Judge Mohammad Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of the Cyber Tribunal in Bangladesh read out charges against him from statements of 12 witnesses.
He told the court he filmed Nusrat’s video for the interest of investigation.
“I did not circulate the video footage of Nusrat,” he said, claiming that the footage was “stolen” from his personal cell phone.
At one stage of hearing, the court asked: “Did you at any other case, film video of the victims and complainants during your tenure at Sonagazi Police Station?”
Moazzem replied that he did not do so.
“The complainant filed this case against me to take social, political and economic advantage [of the situation],” he also said.
He claimed that Investigation Officer Rima Sultana did not investigate him following laws.
Then the judge asked: “Did the PBI film your statement during investigation?”
Moazzem said, “No.”
During his 35-minute deposition at the court, Moazzzem became emotional several times.
He also read out a written statement.
The judge took his statement yesterday while hearing a case filed for recording and circulating footage of Feni madrasa student Nusrat.
The last prosecution witness in the case Rima Sultana, an Additional SP of Police Bureau of Investigation, gave her statement before the court on November 11. The tribunal set November 20 for arguments in the case.
Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa, was set ablaze on April 6 allegedly for refusing to withdraw a case filed against the madrasa principal for sexually harassing her.
After fighting for her life for five days, she died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on April 10.
The same day, Moazzem was withdrawn from his post of Sonagazi Police Station OC, as Nusrat’s family alleged that he was not cooperating with them. A video clip of the then Sonagazi OC asking Nusrat humiliating questions also went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism.
On April 15, Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Sumon filed the case against Moazzem Hossain under the Digital Security Act, for circulating the video.
On July 17, the tribunal framed charges against Moazzem.
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