ICT case against Shahidul Alam: HC suspends investigation

The High Court has suspended investigation into a case filed against internationally renowned photographer Shahidul Alam under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act.

The case, filed during the 2018 student-led road safety movement, alleged "provocative false statements" against Alam.

After a hearing on his petition to quash the FIR and investigation, a High Court bench of Justice Md Iqbal Kabir and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan issued the suspension order along with a rule today (4 November).

Senior lawyer Sara Hossain and lawyer Abdullah Al Noman represented Shahidul Alam during the hearing.

Following the court session, Sara Hossain said, "The case against Shahidul Alam under the ICT Act was filed in August 2018. Later that October, the Digital Security Act was enacted. Under this new law, cases filed under Section 57 of the ICT Act that had not concluded investigation, reached trial, or were under trial, would not proceed. Since the case against Alam was still under investigation at the time, it cannot continue." 

Based on this context, the High Court issued both a rule and a stay order after the hearing.

The sequence of events began on 5 August 2018 when Shahidul Alam was detained from his Dhanmondi residence during the height of student protests demanding safer roads.

The following day, on 6 August, he was taken into remand under a case filed under Section 57 of the ICT Act. 

Police claimed Alam had spread "provocative false statements," and the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court denied his bail application on the same day.

After spending 107 days in detention, Alam was granted bail and released on 20 November 2018.