Nusrat Video: Court frames charges against Sonagazi OC

A tribunal in Dhaka yesterday framed charges against suspended Sonagazi OC Moazzem Hossain over filming Nusrat Jahan Rafi’s statement and circulating the footage on social media without her consent.

The court rejected his bail petition and fixed July 31 for starting the trial.

The former officer-in-charge of Sonagazi Police Station pleaded not guilty after Judge Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of Dhaka Cyber Tribunal read out the charges to him.

The court also asked Sayedul Haque Sumon, the lawyer who filed the case against Moazzem on April 15, to be present at the trial and narrate the incident.

The tribunal also dismissed the discharge petition submitted by the defence lawyers.

During yesterday’s hearing, the defence lawyers said his client recorded Nusrat’s statement for the sake of investigation. But his client had not circulated the clip on social media. 

The lawyer added that a man named Sajol took the clip from his client’s phone without permission and circulated it.

Moazzem’s lawyer also said the complainant was not a member of the victim’s family and as per law he had no right to file such a case.

The tribunal on June 17 sent Moazzem to jail in the case.

Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa in Feni, was set ablaze on April 6 allegedly after refusing to withdraw a case she had filed against her principal, Siraj Ud Doula, for sexually harassing her. She died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on April 10.

The OC was withdrawn on the same day after Nusrat’s family alleged that he had not cooperated with them.

During that time, a video clip of Moazzem asking Nusrat several humiliating questions went viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism. 

Moazzem was suspended on May 8 for negligence in duty.

Police later arrested him in the capital’s Supreme Court area.