C T Online Desk: The High Court has granted Matiur Rahman, the editor and publisher of the Bangla daily Prothom Alo, anticipatory bail for six weeks in a case filed by lawyer Moshiur Malek under the Digital Security Act.
The bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam granted Rahman the bail after a hearing on Sunday.
Lawyers Fida M Kamal, Imtiaz Mahmud and Prashanta Karmakar represented Rahman at the hearing.
Additional Attorney General Md Mehedi Hassan Chowdhury and Sudeep Chatterjee represented the state.
The case against Matiur Rahman was filed with Dhaka’s Ramna Police Station on Mar 29. Prothom Alo Staff Correspondent Samsuzzaman Shams was also accused in the case, as was an unnamed ‘assistant cameraman’.
An inspector has been assigned to investigate the case.
Moshiur Malek accused the journalists of using print, online, and electronic media to defame the image and reputation of the state. The case was filed under sections 25, 31, and 35 of the Digital Security Act.
Malek accuses them of “intentionally spreading false information” to cause a deterioration in law and order in the country.
On Mar 26, the newspaper used a picture of a child to promote an article online. However, a quote used in the social media photo card was by a day labourer named Zakir Hossain, not the child. The discrepancy was corrected and it was later republished.
The headline of the original report was also modified.
The report came under fire and two cases under the Digital Security Act were filed over the article.
