Shakil Ahmed, head of news at Ekattor TV, gets anticipatory bail in a rape case

The High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Shakil Ahmed, head of news at Ekattor TV, in a case filed by a woman on charges related to rape and foeticide.

The bench of Justice Md Zakir Hossian and Justice Khizir Hayat granted four weeks of bail to Shakil on Monday.

Lawyer Murad Reza represented Shakil in court, while lawyer M Sarwar Hossain argued on behalf of the plaintiff at the hearing. Deputy Attorney General Mohiuddin Dewan stood for the state.

“We hope that the state will appeal against the HC’s bail order. If the government doesn’t do so, the plaintiff herself will appeal against the decision,” said M Sarwar Hossain, the lawyer for the plaintiff. 

“The sexual relationship between them was based on consent. But the consent was obtained from the woman through deception, which is equivalent to rape according to section 9 (1) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act,” he argued.

Shakil Ahmed

The woman, a physician, filed the case against Shakil at Gulshan Police Station on Thursday. She had earlier raised the allegations at a news conference.

She said she was in a relationship with Shakil when she met him seven to eight months ago for a job.

Shakil impregnated her promising marriage, the woman said. She had an abortion at Shakil’s request, but he did not marry her, she said.

She also alleged Shakil used his influence to have her sacked from the organisation where she had been working as a doctor.

Shakil refuted the allegation, claiming he has been targeted in a “conspiracy”. “I’m shocked. Investigation will reveal the truth.”

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Sayeed accepted the case on Friday and asked police to submit the investigation report in the case within Nov 23.