'Derogatory remarks' against PM: Arrest warrant issued against ex-DUCSU VP Nur

A Chattogram court today issued an arrest warrant against the former Ducsu vice-president Nurul Haque Nur in a case filed under the Digital Security Act in Chattogram for allegedly making "derogatory remarks" about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel.

The Chattogram Divisional Cyber Crime Tribunal Judge Jahirul Kabir issued the arrest warrant, confirmed Advocate Shahriar Yasir Arafat Tanim, former law affairs secretary of Chittagong University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, who filed the case with Cyber Tribunal against Nur in Chattogram in 2022.

He said after investigation, police pressed charges against Nur in the case after investigation. Earlier, the court accepted the charge sheet in February.

The case statement, Yasir alleged that Nur on June 1, 2022 made "derogatory comments" about Sheikh Hasina, Nowfel, BCL and Jubo League through a news portal named Bangla News BD and later posted the link on Facebook.

The Digital Security Act was renamed "Cyber Security Act", in which sections of the law were amended.

Trials of the cases already filed under the DSA will continue under the act.

CHANGE IN DEFAMATION PENALTY

Law Minister Anisul Huq cited the change in penalties for defamation under the new law as a major change.

While under DSA, those charged with defamation could be sentenced to jail, the penalty under the new law will be a maximum fine of Tk 25 lakh.

However, if the accused fails to pay the fine, he or she faces a jail sentence of three or six months, depending on the fine, the law minister said.

The amount of the fine will be left up to the discretion of the court, but it will be capped at Tk 25 lakh.