The court has deferred the indictment hearing against suspended Sonagazi police OC Moazzem to Jul 17.
Bangladesh Cyber Tribunal Judge Mohammad As-Shams Jaglul Hossain gave the order on Wednesday (Jul 10) after granting the state’s and defendant’s plea for more time, confirmed prosecutor Nazrul Islam Shamim.
Moazzem, who is currently in Kashempur Central Jail, wasn’t produced in court due to inadequate security.
He was handed over to the police on Jun 16 and produced before the cyber tribunal on Jul 17 after which he was sent to jail.
He had been on the run after a warrant was issued in a case filed overspreading the video of Feni madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi, who died after she was set on fire, on social media.
On May 27, the Cyber Tribunal ordered his arrest after the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) filed its probe report on the case.
The PBI probe found Moazzem guilty under sections 26, 29 and 31 of the Digital Security Act for spreading the video on Facebook.
According to the case details, Nusrat went to Sonagazi model police station to file a case against Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa Principal Siraj-ud-Daula, on Mar 27, for sexually assaulting her the day before.
Moazzem recorded a video of her statement without her consent asking her offensive and insulting questions. The video then surfaced on various social media platforms. It was alleged that Moazzem had uploaded the video.
Moazzem, whose voice was audible in the video, appeared unconcerned about Nusrat’s complaints and said the sexual assault was not a major incident. He had told Nusrat to go home and assured her he would take steps in accordance with her written complaint. However, no action was taken against Siraj-ud-Daula.
Nusrat, 18, an Alim examinee, was set on fire by Siraj-ud-Daula’s followers on Apr 6 as she refused to withdraw the sexual abuse charges her family had filed against him. She died from her injuries four days later.