Online activist Pinaki Bhattacharya and former Chhatra Dal joint secretary Mofizur Rahman Ashik have been exempted by a tribunal in a case filed under the Digital Security Act, accusing them of tarnishing the state's image.
Dhaka's Cyber Tribunal Judge Noor-e-Alam dismissed the police charge sheet, Public Prosecutor Md Rafiqul Islam said on Thursday, following the tribunal's review of the allegations.
The case was filed on October 15, 2022 by Sub-Inspector M Abdullahil Maruf of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) at Ramna police station.
The complaint alleged that a social media post on Facebook, noted by the CTTC on October 14, 2022 contained distorted information about police personnel.
Ashik was arrested at his residence in Pallabi, Dhaka, on October 15, with two of his mobile phones seized.
In the investigation report submitted on March 7, the CTTC’s investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Md Rahat Hossain, accused Pinaki and Ashik.
However, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, an accused and former press secretary of ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia, was excluded from charges based on an exemption request.
According to the complaint, Rahman had allegedly used a fake Facebook account to interact with various individuals, including Pinaki and Ansarey, sharing distorted information about a police operation in Mirpur.
