Arrest warrant against Shafik Rehman revoked

 
A Dhaka court has called off the arrest warrant issued against senior journalist Shafik Rehman in a case filed for conspiring to abduct and kill former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

Earlier on Monday (30 September 2024) morning, Shafik Rehman surrendered before the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahbubul Haque seeking bail. After hearing, the magistrate withdrew the arrest warrant which was issued against Shafik Rehman.

Shafik Rehman appeared before the court around 10:30 am for securing bail yesterday. 

On 17 August 2024, Shafik Rehman was sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment in the above case in his absence and a conviction warrant was issued against him was issued.

Mahmudur Rahman, former Acting Editor of the daily Amar Desh; Mohammad Ullah Mamun, Vice President of Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha; his son Rizvi Ahmed Caesar; and Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, a businessman in the United States, were also sentenced to seven years in the same case in their absence.

According to the case details, the accused individuals held meetings at home and abroad for kidnapping and killing Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the then Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in September 2011.

Inspector Fazlur Rahman of the Detective Branch (DB) filed the case with the capital's Paltan Police Station on August 3, 2015 and submitted charge sheet on February 19, 2018.

A total of 12 people including Sajeeb Wazed Joy gave their depositions before the court to this end.

On Sunday (29 September 2024), Mahmudur Rahman, former Acting Editor of the daily Amar Desh, was sent to jail in the same case after he surrendered before the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahbubul Haque.

The magistrate declined Mahmudur Rahman's bail application and sent him to prison.