Journalist Probir Sikdar sent to jail for Facebook ‘libel’ against Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain

A Faridpur court has sent to jail pending trial journalist Probir Sikdar arrested on charges of making libelous comment against a minister in a Facebook post.

The allegation against him is character assassination of LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain through the post in social media.

He was picked up by police from his office at Dhaka’s Indira Road Sunday evening and later taken to Faridpur.

The case was filed under the ICT Act by an assistant public prosecutor in Faridpur, almost five hours after he was whisked away by police in Dhaka.

Faridpur police produced the journalist before a court Monday afternoon and sought to remand him in custody for 10 days.

Judge Md Hamidul Haque of the Faridpur Cognisance Court set Tuesday to hear the matter and ordered Sikdar into jail.

Protests against Probir arrest