A Dhaka tribunal today directed authorities concerned to publish advertisements in two national Bangla dailies asking Hungary-based entrepreneur Zulkarnain Saer Khan alias Sami and three others to appear before it on January 11, 2022 in a case filed under Digital Security Act.

The three others are: Swedish-Bangladeshi journalist Tasneem Khalil who runs Netra News, Ashik Imran, and Shapan Wahed.

Judge Mohammad Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of Dhaka Cyber Tribunal passed the order.

Cartoonist Ahmed Kishore; Minhaj Mannan Emon, managing director of BLE Securities and shareholder-director of Dhaka Stock Exchange; and Didarul Islam, a member of politico-civic organisation called Rashtrachinta are also accused in the case.

The case was filed against them for alleged involvement in spreading rumours and carrying out anti-government activities.

On September 12, the tribunal accepted the charges against Kishore and six others and issued arrest warrants against Sami and three others as they were shown "fugitives" in the charge sheet.

But police failed to arrest them as the four live abroad while Kishore, Minhaj and Didarul are now on bail.

Writer Mushtaq Ahmed's name was dropped from the charge sheet as he died at Kashimpur High Security Jail on February 25.

The tribunal also relieved US-based journalist Shahed Alam; Germany-based blogger Asif Mohiuddin and Philip Schuhmacher as the IO dropped their names from the charges as he did not find their involvement with the incident.