Dilip Roy, a 22-year-old student activist, has been arrested in Rajshahi in Bangladesh after making two Facebook posts criticising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He has been denied bail and could face up to 14 years in prison.
Dilip Roy is studying at Rajshahi University in western Bangladesh, where he is the General Secretary of student organisation Biplobi Chhatra Maitri. He was arrested by police on 28 August after criticising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in two Facebook posts. The posts focused on Sheikh Hasina’s support for a proposed coal-fired power plant in Rampal in southern Bangladesh, which many environmental activists oppose as it could have a damaging effect on Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.
After Dilip Roy was arrested, a member of the local chapter of the Chhatra League – the student wing of the ruling party Awami League – filed a case against him under Section 57 of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act for making “derogatory remarks” about Bangladesh’s Prime Minister and the Awami League. Under this draconian law, an individual can face up to 14 years in jail for “publishing fake, obscene or defaming information in electronic form” or information which “prejudices the image of the State or person.” The ICT Act is often used by the Bangladeshi authorities to target, harass and imprison critics.
Dilip Roy is currently in police detention in Rajshahi, where he has access to his lawyer and family, and has not been subjected to torture or other forms of ill-treatment according to his lawyer. His request for bail was rejected by the Rajshahi Magistrate Court on 31 August, with a second bail hearing scheduled for today 4 September. He could be moved to the capital, Dhaka, to stand trial in a special court which handles cases under the ICT Act.
Source: Amnesty International