Shahidul Alam: HC likely to hear the bail plea Sunday
The High Court hearing on the bail petition of internationally acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam is likely to be held on Sunday.
The bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman yesterday said the bail plea would be included in the cause list of Sunday.
The bench did not hear the petition yesterday as it was not included in the cause list, Jyotirmoy Barua, a lawyer for Shahidul, told The Daily Star.
This is Shahidul Alam's second plea moved before the HC seeking bail in a case filed under the controversial section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act for “spreading propaganda against the government”.
Shahidul, 63, now in jail, submitted the application to the HC through his lawyers on September 18, saying he is ill and will not leave the country if he is granted bail.
In the petition, he also said the allegations brought against him in the case do not fall under section 57 of the ICT Act.
On September 10, Shahidul's lawyers moved another petition before the HC for his bail in the case filed by the police with Ramna Police Station on August 6.
After hearing the appeal, the HC bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman directed the lower court to dispose of the bail application by September 11. The court concerned rejected the petition that day.
Shahidul, also founder of Drik Picture Library, was picked up by plainclothes men on August 5. Police filed the case against him and produced him before a Dhaka court the following day. He was then placed on a seven-day remand.
In court, Shahidul said he was tortured in custody. Police have denied this allegation.
On completion of his remand, Shahidul was denied bail and sent to jail by a Dhaka court on August 13.
On September 4, a judge of another HC bench felt “embarrassed” to hear Shahidul's bail petition in the case, and the bench forwarded the appeal to the chief justice for a decision. The bench, however, did not disclose any reason for this action.