M Humayun Kabir: The High Court yesterday asked the jail authorities to immediately send photographer Shahidul Alam to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for his treatment.
A day after Shahidul Alam was placed on a seven-day remand, the High Court bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order in response to a writ petition filed by Shahidul’s wife Rahnuma Ahmed.
On Monday, a Dhaka court placed Shahidul Alam on remand in a case filed under the controversial Section 57 of ICT Act on charges of spreading propaganda and false information against the government.
The HC bench also asked the BSMMU authorities to form a medical board for examining the health condition of Shahidul and submit a medical report before it by 10:30am Thursday.
The court also fixed Thursday for further hearing on the issue.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua and Barrister Tanim Hussain Shawon, two lawyers for the writ petitioner, said that Shahidul cannot be taken on remand and interrogated following the HC order.
Shahidul will be in the hospital with police guard until further HC order, they said.
Dr Kamal Hossain appeared for the petitioner.
A team of plainclothes men picked up Shahidul, 63, on Sunday night from his Dhanmondi flat. Detectives later produced him before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Old Dhaka on Monday showing him arrested in the ICT Act case.
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