No legal bar to Shahidul's division in jail

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a High Court order that asked the prison authorities to give first-class division facilities in jail to acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain dismissed a petition the government filed to challenge the HC order.

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There is no legal bar for Shahidul to continue getting division facilities in jail following the SC order.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam argued for the government while Sara Hossain, Sharif Bhuiyan, Jyotirmoy Barua and Tanim Hossain Shawon represented Shahidul.

Shahidul has been getting division facilities in jail since September 7 following the HC order passed on September 5.

The 63-year-old photographer was arrested and sent to jail in a case filed under the Information and Communication Technology Act accusing him of spreading propaganda and false information against the government.

He was picked up by plainclothes men from his home in the capital's Dhanmondi on August 5. Police filed the case against him the following day.

The High Court yesterday continued for second day the hearing of the bail petition of Shahidul.

The bench of Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman fixed 2:00pm on Sunday for resuming the proceedings.

During yesterday's hearing, Mahbubey Alam argued that there were serious allegations against Shahidul that needed to be investigated.

He said Shahidul gave an interview to Al Jazeera English provoking people against the state during demonstrations for safe roads.

Shahidul's lawyer Sara Hossain said he has been languishing in jail for a long time in the case filed on false and baseless allegations.

Shahidul submitted the bail petition to the HC on September 18, saying that the allegations against him did not fall under section 57.

This was his second plea moved before the HC seeking bail in the same case.

A trial court rejected bail to the photographer on September 11.