‘Of course, journalists will seek information’: HC observes

The High Court today observed that journalists are curious and they will seek information.

If journalists are given the scope to publish information, they will do it, and there is no offence in this, the HC bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Md Riaz Uddin Khan said.

The bench made the observation while hearing a petition filed by convicted Moazzem Hossain, former officer-in-charge of Sonagazi Police Station, seeking bail in a case filed against him for filming Madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi's statement and circulating the clip without her consent.

Moazzem's lawyer Murad Reza told the court that his client (Moazzem) did not circulate the video of Nusrat's statement on social media.

"A journalist had collected the video from Moazzem Hossain's mobile and circulated it on social media, and therefore, he (Moazzem) has not committed any offence," the lawyer said.

After hearing the arguments, the HC bench made the observation about journalists. The bench also refused to grant bail to Moazzem Hossain as there is a specific allegation against him.

The bail petition is kept "stand over" (waiting for hearing) for next three months, Deputy Attorney General Md Rezaul Karim told The Daily Star.

A Dhaka court on November 29, 2019 sentenced Moazzem Hossain to eight years' rigorous imprisonment.

On April 6, 2019 Nusrat, a student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa in Feni, was set on fire for allegedly refusing to withdraw a sexual assault case filed against the madrasa's principal Siraj Ud Doula. After fighting for her life for five days, she died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on April 10, 2019.