Jhumon Das freed from jail

Jhumon Das Apon of Sunamganj, who secured one year bail from the High Court in a case under the Digital Security Act, was released from jail Tuesday evening.

Jhumon, who was arrested for criticising Hefajat-e-Islam leader Mamunul Haque on Facebook, was released from the Sunamganj jail at 6pm, said Jhumon Das's lawyer Debangshu Shekhar Das.

After release, Jhumon Das was taken to the Police Superintendent's office for security reasons and he will be taken to his house after ensuring adequate security from the SP's office, the lawyer said.

Earlier, the HC granted Jhumon Das bail on 23 September after hearing his bail plea.

According to the case statement, on 15 March, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh arranged a rally named 'Shan-e-Risalat Sammelan' in Sunamganj's Dirai upazila, where its former Ameer Junaid Babunagari and joint secretary general Manunul Haque delivered sermons. 

Following the rally, Jhumon Das posted a status on Facebook opining that Mamunul Haque's speech was disruptive to communal harmony, this was propagated as a derogatory comment against the Hefazat, and that led to mayhem in Noagaon village of Shalla upazila on 17 March.

During the mayhem, miscreants vandalised and looted about 90 Hindu houses.

Police detained Jhumon on 16 March to avoid a possible attack on the village, but the attempt went in vain. They showed Jhumon (25) arrested under section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and produced him before a Sunamganj court on 17 March that sent him to jail.

He remained in jail ever since. The incident caused a stir across the country.  Thirty people were arrested in the next two days following the attack.

On 19 March, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) arrested Shahidul Islam, the mastermind of the attack.

Jhumon Das filed bail petitions in the trial court seven times and once in the High Court. Following the rejection of bail pleas multiple times, he filed a fresh plea seeking bail from the High Court and secured bail, says the petitioner's lawyer.