HC grants bail to Dipti Rani Das, a teen detained in jail over Facebook post for a year

The High Court has granted interim bail to Dipti Rani Das, a 17-year-old girl from Dinajpur who has been detained in jail over a Facebook post.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 17 Feb 2022, 10:12 AM
Updated : 17 Feb 2022, 10:18 AM

She was booked under the Digital Security Act on charges of ‘hurting religious sentiment.’

After being denied bail three times by a lower court, a High Court bench granted her bail on May 11, 2021. However, the bail order was stayed through an appeal by the government.

After a hearing on Thursday, Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim granted her bail.

Dipti is being detained at a correctional facility in Rajshahi and could face up to seven years in jail if convicted.

Human rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra is providing legal support to her.

Lawyers ZI Khan Panna, Md Asaduzzaman, Anisul Hasan and Md Shahinuzzaman represented Dipti in court, while Deputy Attorney General Sujit Chatterjee Bappi was the state counsel.

“The petitioner is a minor girl and has been staying in a correctional centre for a long time. The court has granted the bail considering this,” said lawyer Shahinuzzaman.

Amnesty International called on authorities to ensure the protection of Dipti, her family and other members of minority groups in Bangladesh from communal or politically motivated attacks, release all those detained solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression and repeal the Digital Security Act or amend it in line with international human rights laws.