The High Court has granted bail to Sirajum Munira, teacher of Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University (BRUR), in a case filed for making satirical remarks about the late former health minister and Awami League leader Mohammad Nasim MP.
The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan granted the bail after a virtual hearing on Wednesday.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua joined the hearing on behalf of the bail petitioner while the state lawyer Deputy Attorney General Jahangir Alam strongly opposed the bail.
Earlier on July 23, the teacher filed the petition with the High Court's virtual bench.
Rangpur Metropolitan Tajhat Police arrested Sirajum Munira and sent her to court in a case filed under the University Administration's Digital Security Act on June 13 and asked for a five-day remand.
Also Read- BRUR authorities suspend arrested teacher Sirajum Munira
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said in the court, the university has no jurisdiction to file the case.
Also, the case was filed under the bailable section, so the police should have taken permission from the magistrate before arresting her. The magistrate also said in his report that law was violated while arresting the teacher.
Apart from this, the daughter-in-laws of late Awami leader and former minister Mohammad Nasim gave a statement to the media that the case would not have been filed, if Nasim was alive.
If the family members do not have any have no grievances against the teacher then why others? The country’s criminal procedure (CrPc) has provision according to which the court can consider bail if the accused is a woman, the lawyer said to the court.
Earlier on June 13, the arrestee reportedly posted a status on her Facebook profile allegedly demeaning and humiliating late Awami League presidium member and former health minister Mohammad Nasim, a lawmaker from Sirajganj 1 constituency who died on the same day from Covid-19 infection.
Munira’s Facebook status quickly went viral and reportedly enraged both teachers and students on the campus.
Later, the university’s registrar Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal filed the case against her with the police station on the night of June 13 and police arrested her immediately.
On June 18, the authorities of BRUR suspended Sirajum Munira after she had been arrested.
Sirajum Munira, also has been suspended from three organizations including the Naba Prajanma Teachers' Council of the university, on June 15 over the same allegation.