Journalist Probir Sikdar acquitted from ICT case

A Dhaka tribunal today acquitted journalist Probir Sikdar in a case filed against him under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, 2006.

Judge Mohammad Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal gave the acquittal order in presence of Probir, who was on bail, in the case.

Soon after the order, Probir told journalists that he has finally received justice and that he was framed in the case.

In the verdict, the judge said that prosecution failed to prove the charges against the accused.

Earlier, the tribunal recorded statements of 10 prosecution witnesses, including complainant of the case.

Police pressed charges against Probir on March 16, 2016 while the tribunal framed charges against him on August 4 the same year.

Probir (55), editor of Daily Bangla 71, was arrested on August 16 of 2015 after Faridpur Awami League leader Swapan Kumar Paul filed the case against him under the ICT Act over a Facebook post.

In the Facebook post, dated August 10 that year, Probir said his life was under threat and that the then Local Government and Rural Development Minister Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, businessman Moosa Bin Shamser and condemned fugitive war criminal Abul Kalam Azad would be responsible if he was killed.