Chhatra Dal urges Ducsu VP Shadik Kayem to withdraw case against Facebook pages, apologise to students
Though it is not officially known who runs these pages, Chhatra Dal described the filing of the case against "students" by a Ducsu vice president as shameful and unprecedented.
Chhatra Dal has urged Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) VP Md Abu Shadik Kayem to withdraw his case against several Facebook pages and accounts over alleged defamation and cyberbullying, and also apologise to students of Dhaka University.
In a statement sent to the media today (2 December), Chhatra Dal President Md Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir also strongly condemned and protested the legal action taken by Shadik against the social media pages.
Yesterday, Shadik, elected Ducsu vice president this year from Shibir's panel, filed the case at Shahbagh Police Station against several Facebook pages and IDs, including BongoGraph, Amar Ducsu and Katherkella, citing online defamation and cyberbullying of female Ducsu leaders.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Though it is not officially known who runs these pages, Chhatra Dal in its statement described the filing of the case against "students" by a Ducsu vice president as shameful and unprecedented.
It said Shadik has "tarnished" the Ducsu VP post and disregarded the right to freedom of online expression for personal vendetta.
Chhatra Dal, the BNP student wing, added that by filing the cyber case, Shadik has restricted freedom of expression online.
Drawing from his long involvement in Chhatra League politics, Shadik has adopted the same strategy of silencing dissent that the Awami League leadership has historically used, it alleged.
"His 'case terror' did not spare even meme and troll pages." The statement also described the case as an expression of Chhatra League's intolerance.
The statement also highlighted that the current interim government has repealed the previous "authoritarian-era" Cyber Security Act, opening the way for free expression.
Under the current law, Chhatra Dal said, filing a defamation case under the cyber law is not permitted.
However, Shadik has misused the law by following in Sheikh Hasina's footsteps, Chhatra Dal alleged.
"The complaints he filed do not constitute a criminal offence under the Cyber Security Ordinance or any other law," Chhatra Dal said, accusing the Ducsu leader of misusing legal processes to suppress political opponents.
