The High Court today stayed for six months the trial proceedings against Prothom Alo Editor and Publisher Matiur Rahman in a case filed over the death of Dhaka Residential Model College student Naimul Abrar Rahat.

The court also issued a rule asking the state to explain in four weeks why the case proceedings against Matiur Rahman should not be scrapped.

The HC bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Md Atoar Rahman came up with the order and rule following a petition filed by Matiur Rahman, seeking cancellation of the trial proceedings against him in the case.

Lawyers Rokanuddin Mahmud and Mustafizur Rahman Khan appeared for Matiur Rahman while Deputy Attorney General Saifuddin Khaled represented the state during virtual hearing of the petition.

Lawyer Mustafizur Rahman Khan told The Daily Star that the HC issued the stay order and rule after hearing their arguments that Matiur Rahman was not present at the venue where Abrar, a ninth-grader, was electrocuted during the anniversary programme of Prothom Alo's youth magazine Kishor Alo on November 1 last year.

Matiur Rahman was not involved in electricity supply management for the occasion and in appointing the contractor for the electricity management and therefore, there was no element for framing charges against him in the case, the lawyer added.

Meanwhile, DAG Saifuddin Khaled told this correspondent that he does not know whether the government will move any appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC's stay order.

On November 12 this year, a Dhaka court framed charge against the Prothom Alo editor in the case.

The lower court, however, discharged Prothom Alo's Deputy Editor Anisul Hoque as it found no grounds to frame charges against him.

On November 1, Abrar was electrocuted during the anniversary programme of Prothom Alo's youth magazine Kishor Alo.

The victim's father Mojibur Rahman filed the case with the Fourth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka on November 6 last year.