The High Court on Tuesday granted bail to detained journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in one of the three cases filed against him by ruling Awami League people under the Digital Security Act.
Awami League lawmaker for Magura-1 Saifuzzaman Shikhor filed the case with the Sher-E-Bangla Nagar police station on March 9.
A bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman fixed December
15 for hearing on Kajol’s applications seeking bail in the remaining two cases.
On March 10, Hazaribagh unit Juba Mahila League leader Osman Ara filed the second defamation case against Kajol with the Hazaribagh police station over the same allegation of defaming Shikhor.
The third defamation case was filed against Kajol on March 11 with the Kamrangichar police station by another AL activist.
Kajol went missing after he had left office on March 10, one day after lawmaker Shikhor filed the case against 32 people, including Kajol and Manabzamin editor-in-chief Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, accusing them of defaming him by publishing and disseminating a report on crimes of expelled Narsingdi Juba Mahila League general secretary Shamima Nur Papiya.
Kajol was accused of defaming the lawmaker by sharing the report on his Facebook account.
Kajol, who remained missing for 52 days, was sent to Jashore Central Jail on May 3 in a case filed by Board Guard Bangladesh for ‘illegal trespassing’.
Earlier, BGB personnel handed Kajol over to the Banapole port police station after picking him from a place near the border in Jashore.
Kajol has been in the Dhaka central jail in connection with the cases since March 23.