The state has filed an application with the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the High Court bail granted to journalist couple Shakil Ahmed and Farzana Rupa.
The hearing on the application is scheduled for Sunday, 7 June, before the chamber court of Justice Md Rezaul Haque.
On 11 May, the High Court granted bail to Farzana Rupa in six cases and to Shakil Ahmed in five cases. Following that order, the state moved to the Appellate Division seeking its suspension.
Shakil Ahmed and Farzana Rupa were working as chief of news and chief reporter, respectively, at Ekattor Television. After the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024, the television channel’s authorities removed them from their positions on 8 August.
They were arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 21 August that year and later shown arrested in several cases. They are currently in jail custody.
Separately, an investigation is ongoing against Farzana Rupa over the killings that took place during a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, Dhaka, on 5 May 2013. She was shown arrested in that case on May 14.
The prosecution alleges that Rupa attempted to divert the narrative of the Shapla Chattar killings in a different direction.
