Journalist Razu released on bail

Ahmed Razu, a journalist of an online news portal, who was arrested by police on Sunday, was released on bail yesterday.

In the afternoon, Razu, executive editor of Natunsomoy.com, was released on bail by Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Mahmudul Hasan and Raihanul Islam.

TM Abdullah Al Fuad, assistant director of Walton Group's law wing, filed a case on April 29 with Ramna Police Station under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act. The company alleged that Razu and two others, including the news portal's editor Shawgat Hossain Bablu, published two news reports against its mobile division for tarnishing the image of the company.

Later, another official of Walton Group filed an extortion case against Razu and the news portal's editor with Paltan Police Station.

Razu was placed on a one-day remand each in both the cases.

Talking to The Daily Star, Razu said, “The company filed the cases on purpose. Their intention was to harass me, and their allegations were false and fabricated.”

About publishing news against the company, he said, “The reports published on the news portal were evidence-based, where Walton mobile users' opinion was incorporated.”

He also said marketing division of the news portal used to ask different companies for advertisements, and the Walton Group was approached the same way, which cannot be termed extortion.

After the arrest of Razu under Section-57 of ICT Act, leaders of different journalist forums expressed deep condemnation, and demanded his immediate release and abolition of the section.