A Dhaka court today fixed January 26 for taking deposition of prosecution witnesses (PWs) against the editor of the Daily Prothom Alo Motiur Rahman and eight others in connection with a case filed over the death of Dhaka Residential Model College student Naimul Abrar Rahat.
Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge KM Imrul Kayes fixed the date on Monday after granting the plea for time filed by the lawyer of the accused.
Earlier on December 13, the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case against Motiur Rahman over the death of Naimul Abrar Rahat for six months. The virtual HC bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Md Atoar Rahman passed the order on Sunday.
The HC bench also issued a rule asking the government why the proceedings of the case should not be scrapped.
Advocate Rokanuddin Mahmud and Advocate Mostafizur Rahman Khan appeared before the court on behalf of the editor while Deputy Attorney General Saifuddin Khaled represented the state.
Earlier on November 12, Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge KM Imrul Kayes framed charges against 9 people including Motiur Rahman over the death of Naimul Abrar Rahat. The court also acquitted 'Kishor Alo' Editor Anisul Hoque from this case.
On October 27, the same Dhaka court set November 12 for hearing on charge framing in the case lodged against 10 people including Motiur Rahman over the death of Naimul Abrar Rahat.
Earlier on October 13, the court set October 27 for indictment hearing on the matter. But Judge KM Imrul Kayesh adjourned the hearing till November 12 as the order had not yet been ready to be passed.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jasim on September 20 transferred the case to this court for the commencement of trial.
The other nine accused in the case are- Editor of Kishor Alo, a publication of the Prothom Alo, Anisul Hoque, Prothom Alo Senior Sub-Editor Mohitul Alam, Head of Events and Activation Kabir Bakul, Executives Shah Paran Tushar, Shuvashish Pramanik and Jasim Uddin, Mosharraf Hossain, Sujon and Kamrul Hawlader, who were in charge of providing electricity supply for the function.
The court on September 3 granted bail to Anisul Hoque, Mohitul Alam, Kabir Bakul, Shah Paran Tushar and Shuvashish Pramanik in the case. The court passed the order as the accused surrendered before the court and pleaded for bail in the case.
The court passed the order a day after it directed the authorities concerned to attach the properties of those five accused.
It may be mentioned that Naimul Abrar Rahat a student of class nine died after being electrocuted behind the stage at an event organised by the Kishor Alo, a publication of the Prothom Alo, at Dhaka Residential Model College ground on November 1, 2019.
On November 6, 2019 Naimul’s father Mojibur Rahman filed the case with the court in this connection.
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