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The High Court on Sunday granted anticipatory bail for six weeks to Prothom Alo Editor and Publisher Matiur Rahman in a case filed against him under the Digital Security Act.
The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam passed the order after hearing a bail petition filed by Motiur Rahman.
The court also asked him to appear before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court in six weeks and seek bail in the case.
Earlier, the Prothom Alo editor appeared before the court virtually, from the court premises, and sought bail in the case.
Lawyers Fida M Kamal, ZI Khan Panna, Imtiaz Mahmud, Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Proshanto Kumar Karmakar stood for the accused, while Additional Attorney General Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury and Deputy Attorney General Sujit Chatterjee Bappi represented the state.
During the hearing, lawyer Fida M Kamal said the allegation made in the first information report (FIR) is not correct.
He further said, "Prothom Alo published a report on its online version on March 26, 2023. Later, they made a correction in the report on the apprehension that the content of the report might cause confusion. However, a lawyer filed a case against Prothom Alo Editor under the digital Security Act"
The High Court then asked how he (the plaintiff) was aggrieved with the report and why he didn't go to the press council. However, no lawyer replied to the court's question.
Meanwhile, the state lawyers vehemently opposed the bail petition, saying that the report has tarnished the image of the country.
A lawyer named Abdul Malek (Mashiur Malek), 61, filed the case against Matiur Rahman, reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams, an unnamed assistant cameraman, and unnamed others on March 29 with Ramna Police Station.
Malek accused them of using print, online, and electronic media to tarnish the image and reputation of the state, according to the FIR.
The FIR also mentioned that the accused spread falsehoods on purpose to deteriorate law and order. The case was filed under sections 25, 31, and 35 of the DSA.
The plaintiff said the news reported by Shamsuzzaman Shams went viral on social media, which "tarnished the image of the country and triggered criticism at home and abroad."
Moreover, there was a possibility of deterioration in the law and order situation in the country over the matter, the case statement said.
Later, Shamsuzzaman Shams, the newspaper’s Savar correspondent who wrote the report, was sued in a separate case under the DSA on March 29, around 10 hours after being picked up from his house near Jahangirnagar University by members of the Criminal Investigation Department of police.