ICT to interrogate Palak over internet shutdown, genocide plans
Palak is slated for interrogation on 18 December
The International Crimes Tribunal's (ICT) investigation agency will interrogate former state minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak over allegations linked to internet disruptions during Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
The interrogation will also focus on claims of coordinating internet blackouts to isolate Bangladesh internationally, along with accusations of involvement in plans for genocide and evidence destruction, Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam said at a press briefing today (12 December).
"Palak is slated for interrogation on 18 December, following an application submitted to the court earlier," he added.
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Meanwhile, the tribunal has also scheduled questioning of Abul Hasan, a former officer-in-charge of Jatrabari Police Station, regarding the killing of student Imam Hasan Taim during the uprising in Dhaka's Jatrabari area on 4 August, prosecutor BM Sultan Mahmud told BSS.
He will face questioning on 15 December, the prosecutor said.
Palak was arrested on 14 August by police from the Nikunja Residential Area in the capital's Khilkhet.
He was initially placed on a 10-day remand as part of the investigation over the killing of a youth named Emon Hossain Gazi during the mass uprising on 5 August.
On 2 November, Palak was remanded for seven days in the murder case. On 9 November, he want sent to jail after remand.
Since his arrest, Palak has been linked to several other cases and facing grilling in police custody nonstop in different cases.
Palak, in the morning of 18 July told journalists that the government shut mobile internet down to prevent misinformation and inciting content on social media and later he kept blaming arson for internet shutdown.
On 13 August, a probe committee formed by the interim government said in its preliminary report that Palak and the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center ordered the countrywide internet shutdown during the movement.
Palak lied to the nation that internet blackout was a consequence of fire in some data centres, the report finds.
