A Dhaka court on Monday has fixed January 26 for taking testimony from prosecution witnesses against the editor of the national daily Prothom Alo, Matiur Rahman, and eight others in a case related to the death of a student due to their alleged negligence.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayesh fixed the date after granting the petition filed by the defense counsel to postpone the hearing.
The eight accused are -- Prothom Alo's Senior Sub-Editor Mohitul Alam, Head of Event and Activation Kabir Bakul, Executives Shah Paran Tushar and Shuvashish Pramanik and Jasim Uddin, Mosharraf Hossain, Sujon and Kamrul Hawlader.
On Sunday, the High Court stayed the proceedings of the case against Matiur Rahman over the death of student Nayeemul Abrar Rahat for six months.
The virtual HC bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Md Atoar Rahman passed the order.
The HC bench also issued a rule asking the government why the proceedings of the case should not be scrapped.
However, no written document of the stay order has reached the Sessions Judge Court yet.
Therefore, the defense counsel filed a petition calling for a postponement of the hearing that was supposed to take place on Monday.
On November 12, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayesh framed charges against nine people, including Matiur Rahman, over the death of Nayeemul Abrar Rahat.
The court also discharged Kishor Alo Editor Anisul Haque from this case.
On November 6, 2019, the victim’s father Mujibur Rahman filed a case with Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court accusing Anisul and others of responsibility for the incident.
A ninth grader of Dhaka Residential Model College, Nayeemul Abrar was electrocuted during a program of Kishor Alo at Dhaka Residential Model School and College sports ground on November 1 last year
Later, the student was taken to Universal Medical College Hospital in Mohakhali, where doctors declared him dead.
On January 16, Inspector Abdul Alim of Mohammadpur Police Station submitted an investigation report accusing 10 of negligence which led to the death.