Online activist Pinaki exempted from DSA case

A Dhaka court acquitted online activist Pinaki Bhattacharya and former joint secretary of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) Mofizur Rahman Ashique from a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

The judge of the Cyber Tribunal of Dhaka Nur-e-Alam passed the order on Thursday rejecting to take cognizance into the charge sheet submitted before the court on October 9 in connection with the case.

The then sub-inspector (SI) M Abdullah Maruf of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed the case against three people with the capital city's Ramna police station on October 15, 2022.

The case was filed on charges of presenting distorted information about police personnel on Facebook posted on October 14, 2022. 

The investigation officer of the case, SI Mohammad Rahat Hossain, submitted the charge sheet against two individuals, Pinaki and Ashique, before the tribunal.

Former deputy press secretary of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and journalist Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey was made accused and he was dropped from the charge sheet. 

Ashique was arrested from his Pallabi residence on October 15, 2022. He later secured bail in the case.