Cartoonist Kishore finally walks out of prison on bail
After leaving Kashimpur Central Jail 2, Kishore was picked up by his brother who took him to a private hospital for medical checkup due to ill health
No one could recognise cartoonist Ahmed Kishore Kabir at first sight after ten months. The familiar long curly hair and clean-shaven face are now gone, replaced by the weary appearance of a much older looking man with black and white beard.
After languishing in different prisons for 303 days, he left Kashimpur Central Jail 2 on six-month bail around 12:20pm on Thursday. His elder brother Ahsan Kabir picked him up from the jail in a car.
The bail bond reached Kashimpur Jail at around 11am, said Jail Superintendent Md Abdul Jalil. The High Court had granted him the bail a day earlier in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
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After leaving prison, Kishore went to a private hospital for a medical checkup, and then met his family members at his Panthapath residence, Ahsan Kabir told The Business Standard, adding that he visited the lawyer's chamber next.
The correspondent had tried to speak with Kishore at his lawyer's chamber and his residence, but neither the lawyer nor his family members allowed it.
On Thursday evening, Ahsan Kabir posted a video message on social media, saying, "After 303 days in jail, Kishore has been released today [Thursday]. Another person was supposed to be released today along with my brother, and he is none other than Mushtaq Ahmed.
"I wish eternal peace to the departed soul of Mushtaq Ahmed. We will never forget Mushtaq, as long as I live and as long as people remember the draconian Digital Security Act (DSA). The oppressive DSA should be repealed.
"Greetings to all those who were with Kishore during the tough times. Love is forever."
Quoting his brother Ahmed Kishore, his brother Ahsan Kabir said, "After leaving prison, Kishore told me that he is in no condition to go home. After arrest, he was tortured and he still suffers pain in his left leg.
"It is difficult for him to walk. He has scars. Kishore was also hit on his ear, which caused severe damage and loss of hearing."
When asked whether Kishore received any treatment in jail, Ahsan said, "He has diabetes, and his sugar level has spiked due to the lack of treatment in jail. He has become weak. He is in a really bad shape – both physically and mentally."
Till the filing of this report, Kishore's family was planning to admit him into a private hospital on Thursday night.
Kishore's predicament
Cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore was jailed in May last year in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
He secured bail days after co-accused writer Mushtaq Ahmed's death in custody on 25 February sparked countrywide protests against the DSA, under which they were detained for ten months.
The High Court bench of justices M Enayetur Rahim and Md Mustafizur Rahman on Wednesday granted bail to Kishore for six months, considering the long time he languished in jail.
Along with Kishore, writer Mushtaq Ahmed – who was in jail in the same case – had also sought bail on 23 February. Two days later, Mushtaq died at the Kashimpur jail in Gazipur. Both had been rejected bail six times by a lower court before they filed petitions with the High Court.
On 5 May 2020, the Rapid Action Battalion filed the case against 11 people on charges of spreading falsehoods from a Facebook page, tarnishing the image of Bangladesh and creating confusion.
On 13 January, investigation officer Mohsin Sardar of Ramna Police Station submitted the chargesheet to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
The charge sheet named three people – cartoonist Kishore, writer Mushtaq and Didarul Bhuiyan, the coordinator of Rashtrachinta, a network of political activists – as accused and dropped charges against eight others.
The names excluded from the charge sheet are Minhaj Mannan, Tasnim Khalil, Sahed Alam, Asif Mohiuddin, Sami, Ashik Imran, Swapan Wahid, and Philip Shumakher.
