Ailing photojournalist Kajol denied bail again; taken to BSMMU for check-up

A Dhaka court today again refused bail to ailing photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka passed the order after Kajol's lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua submitted a criminal appeal against the lower court's rejection order.

Earlier on June 24, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Dhiman Chandra Mondol had rejected Kajol's bail petition in the case.

During today's hearing, Kajol's lawyer told the court that his client was very sick and one of his hands was "paralysed", but the bail was denied.

On August 10, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury ordered the jail authorities to arrange better treatment for him. But they were yet to do so, his lawyer alleged.

Meanwhile, today Kajol was taken to the outdoor section of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital around 10:00am for a medical check-up but whisked away without having undergone a "proper checkup", alleged his son Monorom Polok.

"My father was not able to walk; he was so unwell. He had to be carried out of the prison van and then placed in a wheelchair. They stayed inside for about half-an-hour and he was carried out again," said Polok.

"We could not talk to him when he was being taken in -- we were being shooed away. We ran up to him when he was being taken out and only managed to talk for a second. He said his health is not good," added Polok.

Kajol is a cardiac patient, he informed.

Mahbubul Islam, jailer at Dhaka Central Jail, told The Daily Star that he was taken to the hospital for a medical check-up so that they can present a report to the court.

Khurshid Alam, a doctor at Dhaka Central Jail, said Kajol is physically weak and is suffering from a lack of appetite and insomnia. He is also showing signs of being depressed, in addition to other health concerns, the doctor added.

He was taken to BSSMU's outdoor neurology department and the doctors there prescribed some diagnostic tests which can be done at the jail, so he was brought back, Khurshid said, adding Kajol will be transferred immediately to BSMMU if the tests come out poorly and even if nothing shows up, he will be taken for a follow up at BSMMU in a month's time.

Another Dhaka virtual court will tomorrow (August 25) hear a petition submitted for showing Kajol arrested in the same case.

The court on June 16 had sent an email to the jail authorities, scheduling a virtual hearing on the petition and directed authorities of Keraniganj Central Jail in Dhaka to bring Kajol from Jashore jail before the hearing.

Two more cases under the same act were subsequently filed against Kajol on March 10 and 11 with Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar police stations respectively.

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 after being produced before a Jashore court.

Later, he was shown held under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 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.