Savar, Mar 2, (V7N) – In a significant ruling, the court has acquitted two journalists from a false counter case filed against them after an attempted murder of a journalist in Savar, Dhaka. The journalists who were acquitted are Sohel Rana and Jahin Singh, both working in Savar.
 
On Sunday (March 2), Judge Begum Israt Jahan Munni of the Dhaka Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court delivered the verdict. The defense was represented by Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Al-Mamun Russell.
 
Lawyer Al-Mamun Russell stated that the court acquitted Sohel Rana and Jahin Singh due to the lack of evidence to support the allegations against them. He added that the false case was filed by Shamim, a former leader of the banned student organization, Chhatra League. Russell emphasized that during the authoritarian regime, journalists were often harassed by such fabricated cases with no documentary evidence, and that the police investigation report was biased and one-sided. He stated that the two journalists were harassed solely for publishing news. The court has acquitted them today, and we are satisfied with the verdict.
 
Earlier, on August 9, 2022, eight individuals, including Shafiul Alam Sohan, a member of Patalia Union Parishad, were arrested by the police in connection with an attack, vandalism, assault, and looting, along with accusations of assault on women in a house in Ashulia.
 
When the reporters, Jahin Singh from "Alokito Bangladesh" and Sohel Rana from "Tritio Matra," went to collect news on the incident, Shamim, a former local leader of Chhatra League and the brother of the arrested UP member, threatened them not to publish the news. However, the two journalists published the news based on police information, which angered Shamim and his followers. They created distorted images of the journalists and launched a campaign of threats and defamation on Facebook.
 
In response to the threats and smear campaign, journalists organized a human chain at the Upazila Parishad on August 13. Later that evening, Sohel Rana filed a General Diary (GD) with Savar Model Police Station regarding the threats and defamation.
 
On August 14, Shamim’s supporters physically assaulted Sohel Rana in broad daylight inside the Savar Upazila Parishad. Sohel was severely injured and was taken to Upazila Health Complex. His condition was critical, so he was transferred to Enam Medical College Hospital. On August 15, Sohel's uncle, Ashraful Islam, filed a case at Savar Model Police Station naming Shamim as the primary accused, along with 30 unidentified individuals.
 
While Sohel was receiving treatment for 10 days in the hospital, Shamim filed a counter case against him and Jahin Singh on August 17 in an attempt to cover up the assassination attempt. Shamim, a former influential figure in the area, had been involved in drug trafficking and extortion before becoming wealthy through Chhatra League politics. Shamim is also known for having fired shots at students during the July popular uprising. He has 23 cases against him related to student murders, theft, rape, extortion, and other criminal activities.
 
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