Mahmudur freed on bail

Thu, Mar 17th, 2011 1:02 pm BdST

The Daily Star

Mahmudur Rahman, acting editor of daily Amar Desh, was released from prison yesterday, nine months after his arrest.

He was greeted by a number of leaders and activists of the main opposition BNP, along with his friends and family outside the jail of Gazipur district at about 11:30am.

On August 19, last year the Supreme Court (SC) sentenced him to six months' imprisonment and fined him Tk 1 lakh for committing contempt of court.

The SC convicted him for publishing a report on April 21 under the headline "Chamber manei sarkar er pakkhe stay" meaning “Chamber bench means stay order in favour of the government”.

On June 1, 2010 the government cancelled the declaration of the Amar Desh citing that it has no authorised publisher. However, on July 18, the SC in an order cleared the way for publishing the newspaper.

Mahmudur was arrested on June 2, 2010 and on the same day the SC issued a contempt of court rule against him and four others following a petition.

He was accused in around 40 cases on corruption, defamation, fraud and other criminal charges, but he was granted bail in all those.

After stepping out of jail, Mahmudur alleged that the government only harassed him for “writing the truth”.

“The government used all possible means of torture and even tried to kill me during the remand," he said, adding, “I will continue to write for the welfare of the country.”

Columnist Farhad Mazhar, President of Jatiya Ganotantrik Party (Jagpa) Shafiul Alam Pradhan, human rights activist Adilur Rahman and Amar Desh Director Prof Tasnim Alam were among others present during his release.