Veteran journalist Shafik Rehman’s jail sentence suspended for one year

Bangladesh desk: Bangladesh’s interim government suspended the jail sentence of veteran journalist, political analyst and writer Shafik Rehman and Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan alias M R Bhuiyan, in a case over conspiring to kidnap and kill Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s son.

The Security Services Department under Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification to this end on Sunday, in the light of an opinion from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

The sentence for the case filed at Paltan model police station has been stayed for a year under the power bestowed by section 401 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, based on the opinion from the Ministry of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs provided the accused surrender to the court, reads the notice.

The veteran journalist was arrested on April 16, 2016, and sentenced to seven years in prison in the case.