Four bloggers denied bail

News - Four bloggers denied bail
 A Dhaka court on Wednesday rejected the bail petitions of four bloggers arrested on charges of making derogatory comments about Islam and Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) through the Internet.

Metropolitan Magistrate M Hasibul Haque of Dhaka passed the order after hearing.

The bloggers are Mashiur Rahman Biplob, Russell Parvez Russell, Subrata Adhikari Shuvo and Asif Mohiuddin. They were not produced before the court on Wednesday.

On April 10, Metropolitan Magistrate M Erfan Ullah sent the four bloggers to jail and fixed April 15 for further hearing of two bail petitions filed by the lawyers of the accused in the presence of the investigation officers.

Detective Branch (DB) of police Inspector Mainul Islam, also investigation officer of a general diary lodged against blogger Asif Mohiuddin, told the court on Monday that a case would be filed against the four bloggers under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act 2006 if specific allegations are found against them.

Later, the court fixed April 17 to hear the bail petitions of the bloggers.

Two investigation officers submitted their reports before the court where they said two separate non-FIR cases — one against Asif and the other against Biplob, Russell and Shuvo -– were filed under section 57(2) of the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006.

After hearing today, the court rejected the bail petitions and sent the bloggers to jail.

Meanwhile, Asif’s lawyer Advocate Alauddin Mollah filed a petition before the court seeking its directive for proper treatment of Asif as he was sick.

On April 2, detectives arrested the bloggers from different areas of the city for their controversial write-ups against religion, especially Islam.

Biplob, Russell and Shuvo were placed on a seven-day remand on the day while Asif was taken on a three-day remand on April 4. Asif was later placed on a fresh one-day remand on April 8.

They were shown arrested under the Section 54 of the Bangladesh Penal Code.

Source: UNB Connect