Dhaka cyber tribunal orders further probe in ICT case against Odhikar's Adilur

The Dhaka cyber tribunal has allowed the petition of the government for further investigation into the case against rights organisation Odhikar's Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and Director ASM Nasiruddin Elan under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act filed about a decade ago.

After hearing both sides, the tribunal judge AM Zulfiqar Hayat passed the order on Monday. 

Adilur Rahman and Nasiruddin were present in the court on the occasion.

Advocate Mohammad Ahsanuzzaman, the defendants' lawyer, told The Business Standard that the investigation of the case was completed, and the charge sheet was filed against the two accused. 

The tribunal initiated the process of taking evidence on 5 October 2021. Out of 28 witnesses, 18 have already testified in the court.

Earlier on 10 May, the Public Prosecutor (PP) of Dhaka Cyber Tribunal, Nazrul Islam Shamim, applied for a re-investigation of the case.

Advocate Mohammad Ahsanuzzaman said the court accepted the government petition. The time of further investigation would be written in the full text order.

He also said, "We made submissions opposing the petition of further investigation. After publishing the full text order we will file an appeal in the High Court challenging the tribunal order."

According to a report published on Odhikar's website, 61 people were killed on the night of 5 May 2013 in a late-night raid by law and order forces to evacuate workers from the Hefazat-e-Islam a grand rally held at Shapla Chattar in the capital's Motijheel.

On 10 August 2013, the police made a general diary against Odhikar at Gulshan police station, alleging that the report was fabricated. On 4 September of that year, the police filed a charge sheet against Adilur Rahman Khan and Nasiruddin under section 57 (1) (2) of the Information and Communication Technology Act, on charges of falsehood and distortion of information. Section 57 of the ICT Act was dropped from the Digital Security Act 2018.

Adilur was arrested on the night of 10 August, the day the case was filed. He was released on bail after two months.

Charges were framed in the case on 8 January 2014. The proceedings were suspended on 22 January of that year by the order of the High Court. The trial of the case began on 12 September 2021.