A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced a youth to seven years of imprisonment for writing a satirical song on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Judge KM Shamsul Alam of the Cyber Tribunal (Bangladesh) in Dhaka handed down the sentence to Tonmoy Mollick, 25, a computer operator at a shop in the Dakop upazila of Khulna.
The court also fined the convict Tk10,000, in default of which he will have to suffer six more months in jail.
However, the court acquitted another accused – 24-year-old Rafiqul Islam – as the charges brought against him were not proved in the case.
According to the charge sheet, after composing the song, Tonmoy added music to it, as well as sold and distributed the song on October 26 last year.
On the same day, the police filed a case against Tanmoy and Rafiqul with Dakop police station and submitted a charge sheet before the court on February 18 this year.
On May 19, the court indicted the convicted under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, 2006.
The court also recorded deposition of 10 prosecution witnesses including the complainant of the case.
