Digital Security Act: Photojournalist Kajol denied bail

A virtual court in Dhaka today rejected a bail petition of photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

Metropolitan Magistrate Dhiman Chandra Mondol of Virtual Court-4 passed the order after his lawyer submitted a petition seeking his bail in the case through an email.

During today's hearing through videoconferencing, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua told the court that his client Kajol has been in jail since his arrest on May 3. Moreover, the charges brought against Kajol are false, fabricated and concocted. He appealed to the court to grant his client bail.

On the other hand, the prosecution opposed it, saying that the accused had committed offences by posting derogatory remarks about a lawmaker and the bail petition should be rejected.

After hearing both sides, the virtual court rejected the bail petition.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kajol was shown arrested in the case.

Saifuzzaman Shikhor, a ruling party lawmaker from Magura-1, filed the case against Kajolwith Sher-E-Bangla Nagar Police Station on March 9.

Two more cases were also filed against Kajol under the same act with Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar police stations on March 10 and 11 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 in the evening, 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.