Ex-OC Moazzem denied bail, sent to jail

A Dhaka court has denied bail to former Sonagazi officer-in-charge Moazzem Hossain and sent him to jail in a case filed under the Digital Security Act for spreading a video of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi.

Dhaka Cyber Tribunal Judge Ash-Shams Jaglul Hussein on Monday passed the order after rejecting the bail petition filed by his lawyer Masuma Akter.  

Moazzem was produced before the court at 2:18 pm from Shahbagh Police Station. 

Earlier in the morning, he was handed over to a team of Feni’s Sonagazi Police Station.

He was arrested from Shahbagh area in Dhaka on Sunday noon 20 days after Dhaka Cyber Tribunal issued an arrest warrant against him.

On May 10, Moazzem, OC of Sonagazi Model Police Station, was suspended on charge of negligence of duty in connection with the death of Nusrat after an arson attack.

On April 10, he was withdrawn and attached to the Armed Police Battalion (APBN).

On April 15, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Sayedul Haque Sumon filed a case under the Digital Security Act against him under section 26, 29 and 31 of the act for spreading a video on social media on Nusrat’s statement at the police station.

According to the case statement, the OC called Nusrat to the police station on March 27 after she filed a case against Maulana Siraj-ud-Doula, principal of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasa, for sexually harassing her.

During interrogation at the police station, he asked her offensive and unpleasant questions over the incident. Later, the OC spread the video on social media.

On April 6, Nusrat was set a fire at an examination centre allegedly by people loyal to the principal of her madrasa after he was arrested and subsequently suspended as she had accused him of sexually harassing her in Sonagazi upazila of Feni district.

She lost her battle for life on April 10 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the capital.

A case was filed accusing eight identified people, including madrasa principal Sirajuddoula, lecturer of English Absar Uddin, Feni municipality councilor Maksudul Alam Maksud, and four unidentified ones.