Court grants bail to teacher arrested for derogatory remarks against Tarique Rahman
A Dhaka court has granted bail to AKM Shahidul Islam, a teacher arrested on charges of making derogatory remarks against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana passed the order this Sunday (28 December) afternoon following a hearing. Sub-inspector of the prosecution division Swapan confirmed the matter.
According to police, Shahidul Islam is the vice-principal of Gabtoli Technical Training Centre in the capital.
Police said that on 27 December, during Tarique Rahman’s visit to the grave of martyr Sharif Osman Hadi, Shahidul Islam shouted and called the BNP acting chairman a “blackmailer” and “terrorist”. BNP leaders and activists present at the scene detained him and handed him over to Shahbagh police. He was later shown arrested under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and sent to jail through the court.
Meanwhile, in a statement signed by BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday, the party said that in a democratic country, every individual has the right to freedom of expression. BNP has long been struggling for democracy and freedom of speech. The statement noted that arresting and sending AKM Shahidul Islam to jail for expressing his opinion was not right. It called for his immediate unconditional release and urged respect for people’s democratic rights.
