Division for Shahidul: SC sets Oct 1 for hearing govt's leave to appeal plea

The Supreme Court yesterday fixed October 1 for hearing a leave to appeal petition filed by the government challenging a High Court order that asked the authorities concerned to give first-class division facilities in jail to internationally acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice M Imman Ali fixed the date after a brief hearing on the petition.

The full-bench of the Appellate Division will hear the petition on October 1.

Shahidul has been getting division facilities in jail since September 7 following the HC order passed on September 5, Tamim Hossain Shawon, a lawyer for Shahidul told The Daily Star.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for the state while Sharif Bhuiyan argued for Shahidul.

Following a writ petition, the HC on September 5 asked authorities concerned to give first-class division facilities to Shahidul in jail

The 63-year-old Shahidul is now in Dhaka Central Jail, held in a case filed against him under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act for “spreading propaganda and false information against the government”.

He was picked up by law enforcers from his home in the capital's Dhanmondi area on the night of August 5. Police filed the case against him the following day.

Meanwhile yesterday, the hearing of Shahidul's bail petition in connection with the case was not held as the petition was included at the bottom of the cause list of the HC bench Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman.

This is Shahidul's second plea moved before the HC seeking bail in the same case.

He submitted the petition on September 18 to the HC seeking bail in the case filed under section 57 of Information Communication and Technology Act.