The High Court asked the inspector general of police to direct the police officers concerned for following the 75-day timeframe to finish investigation of cases filed under the Digital Security Act.
The online bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman issued the directive in
the full judgement in which journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol on December 17 was granted bail in two cases filed in May under the Digital Security Act.
The court released the full text of the judgement on Thursday.
Kajol’s lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told media that his client was granted bail in all three cases but he was yet to be released from Dhaka Central Jail, Keraniganj where he was shifted on May 23 from Jashore Central Jail.
The court in the full judgement also asked the IGP to direct the police officers to seek permission from the Cyber Crimes Tribunal if the investigation could not be completed within 75 days.
‘We have noticed that investigation continued even after the expiry of 75-day timeframe and no permission is being sought from the Cyber Crimes Tribunal as required under Section 40 of the Digital Security Act, 2018,’ the court observed.
Two Awami League leaders filed the cases against Kajol accusing him of defaming Magura-1 MP Saifuzzaman Shikhor by sharing a report published in Manabzamin on crimes of expelled Narsingdi Juba Mahila League general secretary Shamima Nur Papiya.
The two cases were filed after lawmaker Saifuzzaman Shikhor himself filed the first case on March 10 under the DSA on the same allegation of defaming him by disseminating the report.
Kajol went missing after he had left his office on March 10 – one day after lawmaker Shikhor filed the case.
He remained missing for 52 days before Board Guard Bangladesh personnel found him near the border in Jashore on May 3.
BGB filed a case against him for trespassing and handed him over to Benapole port police station.
He was later sent to Jashore Central Jail.
