SC upholds JnU student Khadija’s bail, no bar to release

The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld a High Court order that granted bail to Jagannath University (JnU) student Khadijatul Kubra in two separate cases filed under the Digital Security Act, paving the way of her release from jail.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan on Thursday passed the order dismissing two separate petitions filed by the state challenging the HC’s bail order.

Khadija’s lawyer BM Elias Kachi said that there is no legal bar for her to get released from jail following the order.

In 2020, the police sued Khadija and Major (retd) Delwar Hossain in Kalabagan and New Market police stations in Dhaka under the DSA, on allegations of spreading anti-government statements and tarnishing the country’s image.

Later, the police investigated the two cases and pressed charges against Khadija and Delwar in May last year. The cyber tribunal of Dhaka took the charges to its cognizance and issued arrest warrants against the duo. Khadija was arrested from her home in Dhaka’s Mirpur on August 27 last year. 

Khadija was rejected bail two times by the trial court. Later, the High Court granted her bail plea in February this year. However, in view of the state’s application, the chamber judge suspended the bail order given by the High Court and sent it to the Appellate Division for a hearing.