5 Amar Desh journos asked to surrender before trial court

8 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

A High Court (HC) bench yesterday directed five journalists of the recently closed daily Amar Desh to surrender before the trial court within eight weeks in a criminal case. Tejgaon police on June 2 filed the case against them on charge of creating obstacle to discharging duties on June 1 when they entered the Amar Desh office to arrest its acting editor Mahmudur Rahman. The bench of Justice MA Wahhab Miah and Justice JBM Hasan also asked the trial court to consider their bail when they surrender in the case. It also asked the government not to harass them in connection with this case during this eight-week period. The accused are Amar Desh Deputy Editor Sayed Abdal Ahmad, Special Correspondent Zahed Chowdhury, Assistant Editor Shanjib Chowdhury and Staff Reporter Alauddin Arif and Saif Islam Bilal. The defendants appeared before the HC bench seeking anticipatory bail in this case. Barrister Abdur Razzaq appeared for the defendants. WRIT PETITION
Meanwhile, HC bench of Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana and Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif adjourned till 2:00pm today the hearing on a writ petition challenging the legality of the government decision cancelling the declaration of publications of the daily Amar Desh. Anwar-un-Nabi, acting chairman of the daily Amar Desh, filed the writ on June 7 seeking a stay on the government decision that cancelled the declaration of the publication of the daily. Barrister Abdur Razzaq appeared for the petitioner.