Staff Correspondent

The High Court has suspended the investigation against photojournalist Shahidul Alam in a case under the Information and Telecommunications Technology Act, issuing a rule asking why the case should not be dismissed outright.

The bench of Justice Md Iqbal Kabir and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan made the decision on Monday.

Advocate Sara Hossain represented Shahidul at the hearing, with Advocate Priya Ahsan Chowdhury accompanying her.

Afterwards, Sara said that the investigation work in the case has been suspended and a rule issued on why it should not be quashed.

Shahidul had taken to Facebook Live to speak out about several clashes in the Jigatola area on Aug 3 and Aug 4, 2018 as students took to the streets to press for demands on road safety. He also criticised the then Awami League government in an interview with international media outlet Al Jazeera.

On Aug 5 that year, police detectives detained Shahidul Alam from his home. The following day, he was accused in a case under the ICT Act for spreading ‘incendiary lies’.

After three and a half months in prison, he was released on bail on Nov 20, 2018.

On Mar 3, 2019, he filed a writ with the High Court challenging the validity of the case under the ICT Act.

The bench of Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Razik Al Jalil held the preliminary hearing in the case on Mar 14, 2019 and issued a rule on the matter.

The rule asked why Section 57 of the ICT Act did not clash with the Digital Security Act and Articles 31 and 39 of the Constitution and should not be declared illegal.

The High Court then suspended the investigation into the case. The state appealed the decision and, on Aug 19, 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the suspension order and gave three months for the rule to be settled.

Accordingly, on Dec 13, 2021, the High Court bench of Justice JMB Hasan and Justice Razik Al Jalil rejected the rule and dismissed the suspension of the investigation.

After that, Shahidul petitioned for the case to be quashed.