Staff Reporter: Mamunur Rashid Nomani. A senior journalist and human rights activist. His work is to fight against injustice. Many have published news against corruption and irregularities. Barisal is the southern divisional city of Bangladesh. This is where Nomani is in the journalism profession. He is vocal against the torture and oppression of journalists wherever he is. On September 13, 2020, the top leaders of the ruling party attacked him. He was arrested by the police with serious injuries. Later, a case was filed against the notorious Section 26 (2) and 33 (2) of the much-criticized and controversial black law “Digital Security Act”. Sent to prison without appearing before the judge of the court. Journalist Nomani was released on bail after 17 days in prison. After his arrest, there was widespread criticism at home and abroad. The United Nations special rapporteurs seriously raised the issue in the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Besides, the Asian Human Rights Commission, CPJ, Article 19 , Adhikar, Human Rights Association, BOJ, Press Unity, SSP, Banpas and other mass media organizations and organizations have condemned. The organizations issued statements and human chains demanding the release of Nomani.

Investigating Police Officer 1 (one) year 11 (eleven) months 17 (seventeen) days after the case instead of 75 days after the court Filed the charge sheet. About two years. The case is currently proceeding in the Cyber Tribunal.

The investigation report is only an exact copy of the case. The forensic report has not found any proof of the truth of the allegations made by the plaintiffs. Apart from this, there is no element of Article 26 (2) /33 (2) of Digital Security Act 2018 against journalist Nomani. The investigating police officer knowingly submitted a completely false, fabricated and baseless investigation report to the court.

Journalist Nomani is completely innocent. The case is filed for harassment only for harassment, financial loss and social humiliation. He applied for exemption from the case under Section 265 (C) of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the Cyber Tribunal.

Journalist Nomani’s apprehension was that the forensic report found no evidence of the truth of the allegations, yet false and fabricated investigation reports were given for imprisonment. However, his fear is not valid.

Lawyers on the side of journalist Nomani also expressed concern and said,

CPJ published a story in 2022 about journalist Nomani. There is a detailed report. The forensic report did not find any sign of digital. Still a false and fabricated report (charge sheet) was issued. It is sad.

Also Asian Human Rights Commission, Rights, CGA in their report revealed the issue of torture and controversial law cases against journalist Nomani.

Senior lawyers were shocked to see the statement and charge sheet copy of the case. exactly the same. The statement copy is the charge sheet copy. He said about the forensic report in the charge sheet the investigating officer mentioned at one place, forensic
A review of the report of marks sent for examination shows that, Specialist Gazi Tajmilur Rahman Sub-Inspector-Inspector, BP 8814169662, IT Forensic Bangladesh Police, CID, Dhaka. opined that evidence No. 1, “samsung galaxy note-5 sm-n920p” 5 Controversial Mobile Phones No feedback can be given because the face of the still image is not visible. And this Photography Expert Photography Branch, Bangladesh Police, CID, Dhaka opined that no editing was done.
Photographic Specialist, Photographic Branch, Bangladesh Police CID,Dhaka opined that 1. Barisal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Controversial stills preserved on DVD with sample images of Sadiq Abdullah The victim’s face is not visible. No opinion can be given for this reason. And the sample image has not been edited so cannot comment. In this regard, the defendant number two in the case Kamrul Islam said, the plaintiff is the organizing secretary and ward councilor of the ruling party Bangladesh Awami League Barisal Metropolitan Branch. The alleged victim is the ruling party Bangladesh Awami League Barisal Branch General Secretary, Barisal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah
Head of ruling party Bangladesh Awami League and Prime Minister of Bangladesh She is a relative of Sheikh Hasina so she is an influential person so she filed a false case against us and gave a false charge sheet to the police.

Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah being a relative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina The defendant has questions whether the court will be able to act impartially. Currently, the defendant is on conditional and surety bail. It is to be noted that on September 13, 2020, the editor of the popular online news portal ‘Barisal Khabar’, Mamunur Rashid Nomani, Jubo League leader Kamrul Mridha and car driver Labu Gazi were arrested by the police for allegedly taking photos of Barisal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah.

After the arrest, a false and fabricated case was filed against them under the Digital Security Act, and they were sent to jail through the court after being arrested in that case.
After spending 14 days in jail in the case, they were released on bail from the court. The case is currently pending in the Barisal Cyber Tribunal.

As the Asian Human Rights Commission noted in their report……

“Mamunur Rashid Nomani, a journalist based in Barisal Metropolitan City of Bangladesh, to the the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and to the Special Rapporteur on the Protection and Promotion of Freedom of Expression and Opinion. Nomani was tortured in public place by the local city mayor Sadiq Abdullah Serniabat who is a niece to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He was detained arbitrarily for two weeks in a fabricated case filed under the Digital Security Act-2018. He got his right hand’s plum fractured due to torture.”

CGS mentioned in their report……

Mamunar Rashid Nomani, an editor of a newspaper of Barisal, has been in jail for weeks after a local Ward councilor filed a case against him and his friends in September 2020 under the DSA. He was granted interim bail on September 29, 2020. He is yet to be indicted or granted permanent bail, thus requiring him to appear before the court regularly.

“Bangladeshi journalist Mamunur Rashid Nomani harassed following 2020 assault, detention”

International media organization Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has published a detailed news under this title.

Source:

https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/annual-hr-report-2020,

https://cgs-bd.com/cms/media/documents/e8fc8744-a09b-4676-b9d8-192db92b963b.pdf,

http://www.humanrights.asia/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Neglect-and-Loss-07,

Bangladeshi journalist Mamunur Rashid Nomani harassed following 2020 assault, detention

https://www.prothomalo.com/opinion/column/hqo1ze2i78

ডিজিটাল নিরাপত্তা আইন নিয়ে অজুহাত আর নয়

A charge sheet has been filed against three people including Barisal journalist Nomani under the Digital Security Act

বরিশালে সাংবাদিক নোমানী গ্রেফতারে বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় মানবাধিকার সমিতির তীব্র নিন্দা

One of the tortured journalist is Mamunur Rashid Nomani

বরিশাল সিটি মেয়রের রোষানলে পড়ে দুইসপ্তাহ কারাবাস : জামিনে মুক্ত সাংবাদিক নোমানী

সাংবাদিক মামুনুর রশীদ নোমানীর মুক্তির দাবিতে এসএসপির মানববন্ধন

বরিশালে ডিজিটাল নিরাপত্তা আইনে সাংবাদিক নোমানী গ্রেফতার, বিওজেএ’র তীব্র নিন্দা

https://thedailynewnation.com/news/263155/Online-editor,-two-associates-sent-to-jail