The court has fixed Jul 10 to frame charges against suspended police inspector Moazzem Hossain in case filed under the Digital Security Act.

Bangladesh Cyber Tribunal Judge Mohammad As-Shams Jaglul Hossain gave the order on Sunday (Jun 30) in the presence of the defendant.

Moazzem, who was in charge of Feni’s Sonagazi Police Station, is being tried for taping the statement of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi when she pressed charges of sexual harassment against now suspended madrasa principal Siraj-ud-Doula in March.

The video was later released on social media amidst widespread protest over a deadly arson attack on Nusrat allegedly by followers of Siraj, who had already landed in jail on the sexual abuse charges, in April.

During the hearing the defence counsel sought the court’s permission for a legal discussion with Moazzem as well as a copy of the video lodged with the court as evidence.

The court then fixed the indictment hearing to Jul 10 after granting their plea.

On May 27, the court issued an arrest warrant for Moazzem after the Police Bureau of Investigation or PBI submitted the report on an investigation that found evidence of the allegations brought against Moazzem.

He was arrested from Dhaka on Jun 16 — 20 days after the court ordered his arrest.