Adilur-Elan’s prison sentence cancelled

The High Court has cancelled the two-year prison sentences given by a lower court to Adilur Rahman Khan, the secretary of the human rights organization Odhikar, and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, the director of Odhikar, in a case filed under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act.

A High Court bench led by Justice Md Abdur Rob handed down the verdict on Thursday (August 22), allowing their appeal against the sentence.

Advocate Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan represented Adilur and Elan in court.

Detective Branch (DB) of police on August 10, 2013, filed a general diary with the Gulshan Police Station against the duo for what they said, “running distorted information and doctored images” regarding the law enforcement agencies’ action on a rally of Hefajat-e-Islam in capital’s Motijheel on May 5-6, 2013. The matter was later converted into a case.

After conducting the probe, DB filed charge-sheet against Adilur and Elan on September 4, 2013. The case was taken into cognizance by Dhaka Cyber Tribunal on September 11 and they were indicted in 2014.

Odhikar in its report posted on its website, reported that 61 people were killed in the police raid on that night.

Currently, Adilur Rahman Khan has been appointed as an advisor to the Interim Government’s Industries Ministry and Housing and Public Works Ministry.