The High Court has issued a rule asking the authorities to explain within four weeks why Shyamal Dutta, editor of Bhorer Kagoj and general secretary of the Jatiya Press Club, should not be granted bail in a murder case.
The order was passed on Tuesday by a bench comprising Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice KM Rasheduzzaman Raja.
Advocate Nazmus Sakib represented Dutta in court, while Deputy Attorney General Md Hemayet Ullah appeared for the state.
Dutta was arrested on Sept 16 along with journalist Mozammel Haque Babu near the border in Dhobaura Upazila of Mymensingh.
He was later placed on a seven-day remand in connection with the murder of a man named Fazlu during the Anti-discrimination Movement in Dhaka’s Vashantek area.
On Sept 23, Dutta was sent to jail following the remand.
The murder case, filed at Vashantek Police Station on Sept 11, names 164 accused, including deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to the case details, Fazlu was participating in a celebratory procession on Aug 5, following the toppling of the Hasina government.
He was reportedly shot near Diganta Filling Station at the Mirpur-14 intersection around 7pm. The bullet wound to his waist caused severe bleeding, and he was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
