ETV boss sent back to jail
Arrested in front of the Ekushey Television's (ETV) Karwan Bazar office on Tuesday morning in a case under the pornography control act, ETV Chairman Abdus Salam was taken back to jail yesterday after a Dhaka court rejected his bail petition and police's remand prayer.
However, Metropolitan Magistrate Meher Nigar Shuchona allowed his interrogation at the jail gate within five workdays.
The investigation officer, Cantonment Police Station Sub-inspector Shah Md Akhtaruzzaman Illias, had sought a seven day remand stating that, upon Salam's instructions and assistance, the private TV channel had broadcast obscene footage in a programme, “Ekusher Chokh”, on November 6, 2014.
On November 17, 2014 the case was filed with a Dhaka court by a woman (name withheld) accusing four persons -- her ex-husband Mohammad Shahjalal and his brother-in-law Zakir Hossain, her “godbrother” Zahirul Haque Imran and ETV Senior Reporter Elias Hossain.
Following a court directive, cantonment police recorded the case on November 26.
The plaintiff accused Imran, Shahjalal and Zakir of doctoring and circulating on the internet and through cellphones photos and footages secretly taken of her and of spreading gossip to socially demean her after she got divorced.
Elias had those obscene clips aired in Ekusher Chokh on November 6, 2014, says the case statement.
Salam's bail prayer stated that his name was not in the first information report and it was a conspiracy to harass him.
Salam was arrested several hours after cable operators, mostly loyal to the ruling Awami League, allegedly stopped transmission of ETV that had broadcast live BNP leader Tarique Rahman's speech from London early Monday.
On Wednesday, the High Court banned publicising Tarique's statements in the print, electronic and social media since he was a fugitive with several warrants issued for his arrest.
Comments