HC to pass order on Jhumon Das’s bail plea on 23 September

The High Court (HC) set 23 September to pass its order on the bail plea filed by Jhumon Das of Sunamganj's Shalla upazila who has been in jail for over six months in a Digital Security Act (DSA) case.

The virtual bench of Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar Kajol on Tuesday set the date after hearing Jhumon Das's bail petition.

Lawyer Z I Khan Panna, Nahid Sultana Juthi and Md Ashraf Ali moved for the petitioner and Assistant Attorney General Mizanur Rahman represented the state. 

On 15 March, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh arranged a rally named 'Shan-e-Risalat Sammelan' in Sunamganj's Dirai upazila where its former Ameer Junaid Babunagari and joint secretary general Manunul Haque delivered sermons. 

Later, Jhumon Das posted a status on Facebook opining that Mamunul Haque's speech was disruptive to communal harmony, this was propagated as a derogatory comment against the Hefazat, and that led to mayhem in Noagaon village of Shalla upazila on March 17.

During the mayhem, miscreants vandalised and looted about 90 Hindu houses.

Earlier on 16 March, locals handed over Jhumon to the police to calm agitated Hefajat supporters and avoid possible attacks on the village for his Facebook post but all of this was in vain.

On 22 March, police showed Jhumon Das arrested under a DSA case.

Jhumon Das filed bail petitions in the trial court seven times and filed a bail petition to the High Court. Following the rejection of bail pleas multiple times, he filed a fresh plea seeking bail from the High court, says the petitioner's lawyer.

Since Jhumon's arrest, various political, social and rights organisations have been demanding his release from jail.

Jhumon Das's wife along with their one-year-old child joined different programmes organised by various organisations in the city, demanding his release.