Case under ICT Act against Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman dismissed

The Supreme Court today (November 13) dismissed the case filed against BNP Chairman Khaleda Zia and the party’s Deputy Chairman Tarique Rahman under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006 (amended in 2013).

The case, first filed in 2016, followed a Facebook post by Irad Ahmed Siddiqui, son of former BNP leader Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui.

The post allegedly contained threats against then prime minister Sheikh Hasina and showed disrespect to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice AKM Asaduzzaman and Justice Syed Enayetur Rahim, decided to dismiss the case upon the objection of one of the defendants, Irad Ahmed Siddiqui.

The petitioner was represented by lawyer Ishtiaq Ahmed.

In 2016, a Facebook page with the name Irad Ahmed Siddiqui published a post threatening to kill Sheikh Hasina and shared satirical images of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Following this, Abdul Kader Sujan, information and research secretary of Chattogram South District Awami League, filed a complaint in the court of Additional Chief Justice ASM Shahidullah Kaiser in Chattogram under Section 57 of the ICT Act, 2006 (amended in 2013).

The court accepted the complaint and directed the officer in charge of Boalkhali Police Station to investigate.

Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman and Irad Ahmed Siddiqui were later named as accused. Irad Ahmed Siddiqui then approached the Supreme Court to dismiss the case.