Dhaka, Bangladesh : Blogger, journalist, and human rights Defender Farhad Hossain Fahad has been sentenced to six years in prison under Bangladesh’s controversial Digital Security Act (DSA) for allegedly “hurting religious sentiments.”
The verdict was delivered in absentia on Monday by Judge Nure Alam of the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal. According to the judgment, Farhad was found guilty under Sections 25, 28, and 31 of the Digital Security Act 2018 and received two years of rigorous imprisonment for each count, along with a fine of 30,000 BDT.
The case dates back to April 2019, when screenshots of Facebook posts and comments from a profile named Farhad H Fahad went viral on social media. At the time, Farhad was a second-year student at Jagannath University. In response, the religious student group Islami Shashontontro Chhatra Andolon organized demonstrations on campus demanding his punishment.
Over the following days, both Tabligh Jamaat and Islami Shashontontro Chhatra Andolon held rallies calling for Farhad’s execution. Subsequently, Nur-e-Alam, a leader of the university’s Chhatra League, filed a case against him under the Digital Security Act at the Kotwali Police Station in Dhaka.
Farhad was arrested on April 11, 2019, by Kotwali police. After two days in remand, he was sent to jail, where he remained for four months before being released on temporary bail. Following his release, he was attacked by religious extremists, forcing him to go into hiding for his safety.
Currently, Farhad manages the online news portal “Anweshan News” and maintains a personal blog titled “Chintar Mukti” (Freedom of Thoughts). During his university years, he gained recognition for his outspoken writings against religious extremism and his advocacy for human rights, which have repeatedly made him a target of harassment, violence, and legal persecution.
Human rights organizations have long criticized the Digital Security Act for being used to suppress dissent and silence journalists, bloggers, and activists in Bangladesh.
Date: 26 February 2025
