Law Minister admits DSA misused against Naogaon woman

Woman arrested from Naogaon died allegedly under RAB custody

Jehangir Hussain

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Thursday admitted that the Digital Security Act (DSA) was misused in the Naogaon incident, where a woman Sultana Jasmine was detained and died in RAB custody.

“I want to say very clearly that there was no DSA case against Sultana Jasmine when she was picked up by RAB. It was a misfortune and obviously a tragedy that when she died even then there was no DSA case against her. The case was filed the next day. So, the DSA was misused here,” he said.

“Yes, the act has been misused in one or two cases. We are taking action. Wherever we are learning about misuse of the law, we are taking steps to stop it,” he said while talking to newsmen in his ministry office at Secretariat.

While Anisul was talking to media, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also along with him.

In response to a question on arresting Prothom Alo reporter Samsuzzaman Shams in a DSA case, Anisul Huq said, “The cases, which were filed and are being filed, are not against the journalists, these are against the wrongdoing. If you (journalists) publish facts for the people, this government will not stop you in anyway.”

Regarding misuse of DSA, the minister said, “It’s true that in some cases, it’s being misused. But, we are taking necessary steps whenever it’s being informed. We are working to prevent misuse of the law.”

Earlier on March 22, RAB arrested Sultana Jasmine, an assistant at Chandipur Union Land Office in Naogaon, on charges of fraud following the complaint of a senior high official.

RAB did not, however, inform the local police about Jasmine’s arrest, according to media reports.

It was later found that a case was filed against her under the Digital Security Act on the day after RAB took her in custody.

According to RAB, when Jasmine fell sick after her arrest, she was first taken to Naogaon Hospital and later to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where she died on March 24.

Jasmine’s family claimed she died from being tortured by RAB during interrogation, which the law enforcers denied. 

Doctors at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital said Jasmine had an injury on the right side of her head when she was admitted to the hospital and the CT scan report revealed there was bleeding in the brain.

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