Blitz editor jailed for 7 years

A Dhaka court has sentenced Blitz Editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury to seven years to jail in a case over a controversial article.

Court Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 9 Jan 2014, 07:42 AM
Updated : 9 Jan 2014, 07:42 AM

Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Johurul Haque issued the order on Thursday.

Shoaib’s brother Sohel Choudhury told bdnews24.com they would move the High Court against the sentence.

The case was filed on Jan 24, 2004 with the Airport Station.

The immigration police had detained Shoaib on Nov 29, 2003 on his way to Israel with a copy of a speech to be presented at a seminar titled ‘Education towards Culture of Peace’.

Later, the Airport Police Station OC Md Abdul Hanif filed the case charging Shoaib with sedition and hurting religious sentiment.

According to case details, Shoaib spoke in favour of Jewish faith in an article titled ‘Hello Tel Aviv’ published in the US-based USA Today that hurt religious sentiments of the Muslims.
Charges were pressed against him on Jan 9, 2005 and he was indicted on Nov 13, 2006.
The prosecution ended testimony on Oct 27, 2013. A total of 18 people testified in the prosecution.
Shoaib was on bail in the case but was in jail in another case.
He was present during the announcement of the verdict.
The weekly magazine editor said the Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court had earlier fined him in a case under Passport Act.