Khulna-based journalist Hedait Hossain Molla has been released on bail in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
The local correspondent for Bangla Tribune and English daily Dhaka Tribune was granted bail on Thursday (Jan 3) by the court of Khulna Sessions Judge Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury.
He was released from prison around 6.45pm after the jail authorities received the bail documents.
Hedait, also the city editor of local daily ‘Probaha’ was arrested on Tuesday on charges of publishing “false” information on the number of votes cast in a constituency in the district during Sunday's polls.
Batiaghata Upazila administration chief (UNO) Debashish Chowdhury, also the assistant returning officer for Khulna-1, filed the case with Batiaghata police against Hediat and Rashidul Islam, staff reporter of the Bangla national Manab Zamin.
The case statement said despite 80% voter turnout in the Khulna 1 constituency—which encompasses the Batighata and Dacope upazilas — Hedait had reported that 22,419 more votes were cast than the actual number of total voters in the constituency during election, which was held on Dec 30, 2018.
The public servant claimed that the contents of the report were untrue.