Charges framed against Prothom Alo editor and 8 others

A Dhaka Court on Thursday framed charges against nine persons, including the editor of the Prothom Alo Matiur Rahman, in a case filed in connection with the death of Residential Model School and College student Naimul Abrar Rahat.
Abrar, a ninth grader, was electrocuted and died during the anniversary programme of 'Kishor Alo', a youth magazine, held on the college ground on November 1 last year.
The court, however, has exempted from the charges Prothom Alo's associate editor and the editor of the Kishor Alo Anisul Hoque, who was one of the charge-sheeted accused in the case.
Judge of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka, KM Emrul Kayesh, passed the order after a hearing and fixed December 14 for the commencement of testimony.
The other accused are Protthom Alo's senior associate editor Mohitul Alam, head of event and activation Kabir Bakul, executives Shah Poran Tushar and Shubashis Prmanik, the decoration and generator supplier firm's Jasim Uddin, Mosharraf Hossain, Md Sujan and Kamrul Howlader.
The defendants, including the Prothom Alo editor, proclaimed their innocence in court when the charges were being framed.
Lawyers Ahsanul Haque Samaji and Prashanta Kumar Karmakar represented the Prothom Alo editor in court. The plaintiff was represented by lawyer Omar Faruk.
Prashanta Kumar said, "The court has framed the charges under section 304/A and 109 of the penal code against the accused." All accused are now on bail, added the lawyer.
An event celebrating the anniversary of Kishor Alo was held on November 1 last year on the Dhaka Residential Model College ground. Naimul Abrar was electrocuted there and died.
On November 6, 2019, Naimul's father Md Mojibur Rahman filed the case with 4th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka alleging that his son died due to the 'negligence' of the authorities of Kishor Alo, a youth magazine of Prothom Alo.
The case was later merged with another case of Mohammadpur Police Station filed for unnatural death of the ninth-grader.

bikashju@gmail.com