February 22, 2024
DHAKA – Civic activist and owner of a graphic design studio, Shamim Ashraf, arrested allegedly for designing posters against the city corporation and its mayor, was granted bail yesterday.
Mymensingh Senior Judicial Magistrate Tajul Islam Sohagh passed the order after hearing his bail petition, said District Court Inspector Md Shafiqul Islam.
However, Kanchan Kumar Nandi, administrative officer of Mymensingh City Corporation (MCC), filed a case with the Cyber Tribunal around 11:30am.
Judge Md Bazlur Rahman of the tribunal recorded statements of the complainant and directed the Police Bureau of Investigation to submit a report by April 1 after investigating the case, said Abdul Malek, bench assistant of the tribunal.
According to the case statement, Shamim released some posters in the city using the city corporation’s logo with “confusing information using the digital platform”.
Meanwhile, protesting the arrest and immediate release of Shamim Ashraf, who is also a poet, cultural activists formed a human chain at the city’s Zero Point area around 11:00am.
The event was organised under the banner of “Bikhhon: Mymensingh Sahitto Sangsad O Mymensingher Bikkhubdo Sangskritikormikul” where the speakers said Shamim was arrested for narrating the sufferings of the people by designing posters.
Addressing the event, cultural activists said every person has the right to protest public sufferings, social discrimination, and injustice and the cultural activist should be honored for doing what he did. They demanded the withdrawal of the case filed against him immediately.
Similar protest programmes were also held at Muktagacha in Mymensingh and Susang Durgapur in Netrakona.
A team of Kotwali police on Sunday night arrested Shamim for designing posters allegedly as part of a “propaganda campaign”.
Contacted, Mayor Ekramul Haque Titu said recently city corporation authority informed Mymensingh district administration and police to investigate the posters, which use the city corporation’s logo but do not mention the address of the printing press. The city corporation said it tarnished the image of the city corporation and its mayor.
Later police detained Shamim, he said, adding that the posters created a negative impact on the citizens.