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Journalist Anis Alamgir has received bail in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), clearing the way for his release from jail.
He had previously been granted bail in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Faiz granted the bail petition on Wednesday.
Anis’s lawyer, Taslima Jahan Pipi, had petitioned the court for his bail, according to a bdnews24.com report.
After the hearing, she said: “As he has received bail in the two cases against him, nothing bars his release from jail.”
A team from the Detective Branch took journalist Anis to the agency’s office on the night of December 14 for “questioning”.
The same day at midnight, a man named Ariyan Ahmed, identified as a member of an organisation called the “July Revolutionary Alliance”, filed a case against Alamgir and three others, accusing them of “conspiring to destabilise the state and inciting a banned organisation”.
The three others accused in the case are actress Meher Afroz Shaon, fashion model Maria Kispotta, and television host Imtu Ratish.
Alamgir was remanded for five days on December 15 and sent to prison on December 20.
On January 22, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court rejected his bail, and his lawyer appealed the decision to the High Court.
Then, on January 15, the ACC filed a case against Anis on charges of acquiring illegal wealth. On Jan 28, the court showed him arrested in response to an ACC petition.
The case documents state: “Information has been found that Anis Alamgir has acquired assets worth a total of Tk 40.9 million, including immovable assets worth Tk 2.5 million and movable assets worth Tk 38 million. In addition, his family and other expenses have been estimated at Tk 1.59 million. As a result, the total amount of acquired assets stands at Tk 42.5 million.”
“Anis Alamgir’s total income from legitimate sources stands at Tk 9.9 million. This includes past savings of Tk 5.4 million, income from talk shows and consultancy worth Tk 1.9 million, Tk 2.2 million from a plot sale and Tk 324,053 from savings certificates and bank interest. This means that his assets are Tk 32.6 million more than his declared and acceptable income, which is about 77 percent of the total acquired assets and is considered assets outside known sources of income.”
The High Court had previously granted bail to Anis in the case under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The High Court bench of Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher made the decision on Mar 5.
The journalist was not released earlier as he remained arrested in another case filed by the ACC.
Anisur Rahman Alamgir, who works for various media outlets, including the Daily Ajker Kagoj, is widely known by his pen name Anis Alamgir.
Anis, a part-time university teacher, made headlines for his statements on different issues, including contemporary politics, on television talk shows. Several of his Facebook posts also made the news.
His wife, Shahnaz Chowdhury, claims her husband is facing jail time for exercising his right to “free speech.”