The High Court on Thursday acquitted former Dhaka Stock Exchange director Minhaz Mannan Emon of defamation charges filed under the now-abolished Digital Security Act (DSA), 2018.
Emon was one of seven freethinkers accused in a controversial case filed by the then-Awami League government, which claimed they had spread 鈥榬umours鈥� and engaged in 鈥榓nti-government activities.鈥�
The other accused included cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore, Rastrachinta activist Didarul Islam Bhuiyan, Hungary-based entrepreneur Zulkarnain Saer Khan, Sweden-based Netra News editor Tasneem Khalil, blogger Ashik Imran, and retired Bangladesh Air Force officer Wahidun Nabi.
A bench of Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Jabid Hossain delivered the verdict after hearing Emon鈥檚 appeal against the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal鈥檚 February 27, 2022, decision, which had framed charges against him and six others.
The ruling applies only to Emon, as he had specifically challenged the proceedings against him, according to his lawyer, Moyeen Alam Firoee. He added that writer Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the original accused, was dropped from the case after his death in custody on February 25, 2021. Mushtaq鈥檚 death sparked nationwide outrage, especially as he had been denied bail multiple times before his passing.
The Rapid Action Battalion filed the case at Ramna police station on May 5, 2020, accusing 11 individuals under the DSA. Later, CTTC sub-inspector Afchhar Ahmed, the investigation officer, submitted a supplementary charge sheet on June 14, 2021, naming seven accused.
