HC stays trial of DSA case against Baul singer Rita Dewan
The High Court yesterday stayed the trial proceedings of a case filed against Baul singer Rita Dewan under the Digital Security Act on charges of making derogatory comments about religion and hurting people's sentiment during a performance in Tangail in December 2019.
The court also issued a rule asking the state to explain in four weeks why proceedings should not be scrapped.
The bench of Justice SM Kuddus Zaman and Justice Fahmida Quader issued the order and rule after Rita, who is now on bail, filed a petition to quash the proceedings.
The HC gave the directive on grounds that Rita has not made any derogatory comment nor hurt sentiments. Furthermore, her performances come from a rich, long tradition, and she has the constitutional right to freedom of expression, Rita's lawyer Abdullah Al Noman told The Daily Star.
Deputy Attorney General Kamrul Ahsan Khan opposed the petition during its hearing yesterday.
According to the case documents, Rita was performing a "Pala Gaan" with fellow artiste Shah Alam Sarkar. As part of the performance, the topic being debated was "Living Beings versus the Greatest". The event was held on the night of December 10, 2019 at the residence of one Shahjahan Kabir in Tangail's Kalihati upazila.
Shahjahan and one Md Iqbal Hossain, who were accused in the case, had uploaded Rita's songs to their YouTube channels, the case documents said.
Another video also surfaced in which Rita, along with her two daughters, was shown apologising for the matter that day.
On February 2, 2020, one Imrul Hasan, a lawyer, filed the case with Dhaka Cyber Tribunal against Rita under the Digital Security Act.
The tribunal on October 25 last year framed charges against Rita, Shahjahan and Iqbal.
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