The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Bangladeshi authorities to immediately release Hedayet Hossain Mollah, who was arrested in Khulna in relation to his election coverage.

A court yesterday ordered Molla to be held for three days pending investigation into an accusation that he violated the Digital Security Act and reported "false information" about the number of votes cast from Khulna during general elections on December 30, CPJ said quoting media reports.

Molla works for the Dhaka Tribune, Bangla Tribune and Probaho, but reports did not specify to which outlet the accusation is related, the independent press freedom advocacy organisation mentioned in a report yesterday.

A second journalist, Rashidul Islam, from the daily Manab Zamin, was named in the police report on the same charge, but has not been arrested, according to the reports.

"Arresting a journalist for reporting on alleged election irregularities and raising legitimate questions is a disappointing way for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League party to respond to their re-election," said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler, in Washington, DC.

"The government should reaffirm its commitment to democratic values and refrain from abusing the Digital Security Act to attack press freedom."

Several journalists covering the election were attacked and denied entry to polling centers, the organisation said citing news reports.

WHAT ARE THE CHARGES AGAINST THE TWO JOURNALISTS?

Molla and Islam both reported on initial elections results that indicated the number of votes cast in a certain constituency was higher than the number of voters, the reports quoted The Daily Star as saying.

An elections officer later asserted that this had been a mistake, but the reporters had already published their stories, according to the daily.

CPJ could not immediately determine if they published a correction, the report said.

The police report said that their articles were "false information that was made intentionally to make the election result seem questionable and controversial," according to Reuters. CPJ's phone call today to Batiaghata police station, where the case was filed, went unanswered.

WHAT DID THE REPORT SAY ABOUT DIGITIAL ACT?

According to CPJ, the Digital Security Act under which Molla and Islam face charges was enacted in September despite concerns that it would create extensive legal dangers for journalists performing their duties.

The act replaces Bangladesh's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, it said.

Authorities used that act to harass the press, including photographer Shahidul Alam, according to CPJ research.

No contact information was listed for the Awami League on the party's website. CPJ attempted to contact the government press secretary but the phone number listed on the website did not work, the report said.

Law enforcers have arrested two persons in Bogura Sadar upazila for allegedly spreading rumours in social media.

The arrestees were identified as Md Masudur Rahman alias Titu, 48, and Md Benjur Ahammed, 28, of Jhopgari and Jamilnagar areas in the upazila respectively, according to a police press release.

Masudur and Benjur had been spreading different rumours and anti-government propaganda in social media through a fake Facebook account and a Facebook page by sharing a number of posts and videos, which later got shared in various other pages and accounts, Md Shafiul Alam, a sub-inspector of Bogura Cyber Police, said in the case statement.

The cyber police carried out investigation into the matter and identified the owner of the Facebook account -- Masudur -- and admin of the Facebook page -- Benjur.

A team of Bogura Cyber Police led by Inspector Md Emran Mahmud Tuhin conducted drives in Jhopgari and Jamilnagar areas yesterday and arrested the duo, the release read.

Later, a case was filed against the duo with Bogura Sadar Police Station on the same day under Digital Security Act 2018, the press release added.

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a High Court order that stayed the investigation of the case filed under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act against renowned photographer Shahidul Alam. 

The apex court also asked the HC bench, led by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, to hear and dispose of the HC rule by December 18. 

A four-member bench of the SC's Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after hearing a leave-to-appeal petition filed by the state challenging the HC order. 

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for the state while Advocate AF Hasan Ariff, Advocate Syeda Rizwana Hasan, and Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for Shahidul. 

Earlier on March 14, a HC bench stayed the investigation into the case. 

The HC bench also issued a rule asking the government why the continuation of probing into the case should not be declared illegal and contradictory to the Digital Security Act-2018 in the constitution. 

On March 3, Shahidul filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the case in which he was imprisoned for 107 days.

On August 5 last year, Shahidul, also founder of Drik Gallery and Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, was picked up from his Dhanmondi home during a widespread demonstration for safe roads.

Police lodged the case against the 63-year-old under Section 57 of the ICT Act and produced him before a Dhaka court the following day.

On November 15 last year, the HC granted bail to Shahidul and he was released from Dhaka jail on November 20.

Three journalists of a local newspaper in Meherpur have been sued under the Digital Security Act.

They are: Emon Ahmed, publisher of daily Meherpur Pratidin, its editor Yadul Momin and joint editor Al Amin.

Sabuj Hossain, nephew of former president of Awami League's Meherpur district unit Maqbool Hossain, filed the case under the Digital Security Act with Gangni Police Station on Wednesday evening, said Obaidur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the police station.

On May 11, the daily published a report stating that Maqbool had allegedly occupied a house for the last 26 years.

Maqbool, also former independent lawmaker of Meherpur-2 (Gangni), rented the house 26 years back, but he was not willing to leave the house though it is now unusable, the report reads. Meherepur municipality several times served notice to the house owner for demolishing the house, it stated.   

However, the plaintiff, in the case statement, claimed that the news portal published a false and baseless report about his uncle Maqbool Hossain in its print and online editions. It tarnished his (Maqbool) image in society, he stated.

Yadul Momin, the editor of the newspaper, said he had heard about the case. He claimed that he has all the supporting data in favour of the report.

Sub-inspector Shahabul Islam, investigating officer of the case, said he has submitted an investigation report to the court of chief judicial magistrate in Meherpur this afternoon.