On July 12, 2010 a Division Bench of The High Court Division comprising of Justice Dastagir Hossain and Justice A.K.M.Zahirul Huq granted bail to Mahmudur Rahman, Acting Editor of the Daily Amar Desh in four cases namely Tejgaon Police Station Case No. 2(6) 2010, Kotwali Police Station Case No. 5(6)2010, Uttara Police Station Case No.43 dated 19.04.2010 under Section 6(1) of the Anti Terrorism Act 2009 and in the Sedation Case No. 21(6) 2010 filed at the Airport Police Station under sections 121A, 124A and 114 of the Penal Code.
On July 13, 2010, Mahmudur Rahman has been shown arrested in the Anti Corruption case filed at the Gulshan Police Station on June 13, 2010. Metropolitan Magistrate Konika Biswas passed the order in response to the prayer made by the Deputy Director of the Anti Corruption Commission Nur Ahmed.
In the case statement, the ACC assused Mahmudur Rahman of committing punishable offence by not submitting his wealth statement within the stipulated period after receiving its notice.
Today on July 14, 2010, the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Justice Mozammel Hossain stayed the bail granted at the Tejgaon Police Station Case No. 2(6) 2010 and fixed the bail granting order at Kotwali Police Station Case No. 5(6) 2010 at the full bench of the Appellate Division on July 18, 2010.
Odhikar demands unconditional release of Mahmudur Rahman and withdrawal of the cancellation of the publication of the Amar Desh. It is to be noted that most of the custodial torture takes place in the custody of the law enforcing agencies when they bring the accused in their custody from the Magistrate for interrogation under remand. Police arrested Mahmudur Rahman from his newspaper office at the early morning of June 2, 2010 after the government cancelled the declaration of the newspaper on June 1, 2010 afternoon.
Regards,
ASM Nasiruddin Elan
Director, Odhikar
