Top court grants bail to Khadija after 14 months in jail over DSA case

Khadija was imprisoned in August 2022 in a DSA case over spreading ‘anti-government statements’

The Appellate Division has upheld the High Court’s decision to grant bail to Khadijatul Kubra, a Jagannath University student who has been languishing in jail for 14 months over two cases under the Digital Security Act.

Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan dismissed the state’s petition to overturn the bail on Thursday.

Khadija’s lawyer, Advocate BM Elias Kochi, told reporters, “There remains no obstacle to Khadija’s release now.”

In 2020, two cases were filed under the Digital Security Act against Khadia and retired Major Delwar Hossain at the Kalabagan and New Market police stations for "fabricating false and defamatory" statements against the prime minister and other important state officials.

The allegations in both cases, filed within a week, were identical.

On Aug 27, 2022, Khadija was arrested by the police and has been in jail since.

Following her arrest, Khadija’s bail application was rejected several times. The High Court granted her bail on Feb 16, but the state filed an application for its suspension.

Later, the case was taken to the Appellate Division, where it was adjourned for four months.