Cyber Crimes Tribunal to try Adilur, Elan

Odhikar’s Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and Director Nasiruddin Elan will be prosecuted under the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act, court officials say.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 5 Sept 2013, 01:27 PM
Updated : 5 Sept 2013, 01:34 PM

The case will be handled by the newly-formed Cyber Crimes Tribunal.

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court’s Administration Officer Giasuddin said case documents have been forwarded to tribunal.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, he said a signboard of the tribunal will be placed on the courtroom of Dhaka’s Special Judges Court-1 on Sunday and Judge AKM Shamsul Alam will preside over it.

The two rights activists have been charged with distorting facts, presenting false evidence against the security forces during the May 5 drive at Dhaka’s Motijheel, doctoring pictures used in reports with the help of Photoshop, and passing off someone alive and kicking as dead.

আদিলুর রহমান খান শুভ্র, ফাইল ছবি

Police claimed there was no casualty during the drive.

Adilur and Elan were charged in court on Wednesday.

An Odhikar report claimed 61 people had been killed in the drive by police and other security forces at Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar, where Hifazat-e Islam supporters were on an indefinite sit-in.

Adilur, a former Deputy Attorney General during the last BNP-Jamaat alliance government, was arrested on Aug 10.

The other accused, Elan, is absconding, police said.

Bengali-language daily ‘Daily Amar Desh’ Acting Editor Mahmudur Rahman, and the four detained bloggers will be tried by the same tribunal. Rahman, Editor of the BNP-leaning broadsheet, was accused of whipping up religious sentiments. The bloggers were accused of offending religious sentiment.

The tribunal has been formed under the ICT Act 2006, amended in 2009, to try such crimes.