Shafik Rehman’s arrest warrant lifted

A Dhaka court has withdrawn the arrest warrant issued against senior journalist Shafik Rehman in a case filed for conspiring to abduct and kill former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

Earlier on Monday (September 30) morning, Shafik Rehman surrendered before the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahbubul Haque seeking bail. After hearing, the magistrate withdrew his warrant.

Shafik Rehman appeared before the court around 10:30am for surrender.

On August 17 last year, Shafik was sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment in the case in his absence and issued a conviction warrant against him.

Mahmudur Rahman, former acting editor of the daily Amar Desh; Mohammad Ullah Mamun, vice-president of Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha; his son Rizvi Ahmed Caesar; and Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, a businessman in the US, were also sentenced to seven years in the same case in their absence.

According to the case details, the accused persons held a meeting at home and abroad for kidnapping and killing Sajib Wajed Joy, the then ICT advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in September 2011.

Inspector Fazlur Rahman of the Detective Branch (DB) filed the case with Paltan Police Station on August 3, 2015 and submitted charge sheet on February 19, 2018.

A total of 12 people including Sajib Wajed Joy gave their depositions before the court in this connection.

On Sunday (September 29), Mahmudur Rahman, former acting editor of the daily Amar Desh, was sent to jail in the same case after he surrendered before the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mahbubul Haque.

The magistrate rejected his bail prayer and sent to jail.