Prothom Alo editor gets 4-week bail

The High Court granted four-week bail to Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman on Monday in a case over the death of Dhaka Residential Model College student Nayeemul Abrar Rahat.

The court also asked law enforcers not to arrest or harass five other people who have been accused in the case until the trial court indicts them.

Prothom Alo Deputy Editor Anisul Haque, Head of Event and Activation Kabir Bakul, Senior Assistant Editor of Kishor Alo Mahitul Alam Pavel, and executives Shuvashish Pramanik Shuvo and Shah Paran Tushar are the other people accused in the case.

The High Court asked Matiur Rahman to surrender before the lower court on the expiry of the bail period.

The two-member High Court bench said that since bail can be given in the case, the lower court can consider granting him further bail.  

Barrister M Amir-ul Islam, Advocate Tanzim Al Islam and Aftab Uddin Siddique represented the bail petitioners.

Hours after the bail petitions were filed on Sunday, the court directed law enforcers not to arrest or harass the Prothom Alo editor and five others until the hearing on the pleas.

On January 16, a Dhaka court issued arrest warrant against 10 people including the editor and deputy editor of the national Bangla daily.

Earlier on November 14 last year, a writ petition was filed demanding Tk10 crore in compensation and action against Prothom Alo in connection with the death of Abrar.

On November 3, a legal notice was served on Matiur Rahman, demanding compensation over this issue.

Nayeemul Abrar was electrocuted during an anniversary programme of Kishor Alo, a supplement of the Prothom Alo for young readers, on the school premises on November 1.

The 14-year-old boy was taken to the Universal Medical College and Hospital in Mohakhali 45 minutes after the incident occurred, although the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital was on the opposite side of the event venue.