Jhumon Das Released from Jail

Jhumon Das Apon of Sunamganj was released from jail Tuesday evening after obtaining one-year bail from the High Court in a case under the Digital Security Act.

Jhumon Das was released from the Sunamganj jail at 6 pm after submitting a certified copy of his bail order to the jail authorities, according to Jhumon Das's lawyer Debangshu Shekhar Das. Jhumon was arrested for criticizing Hefajat-e-Islam leader Mamunul Haque on Facebook.

After release, Jhumon Das was taken to the Police Superintendent's office for security reasons and he will be taken to his house after ensuring adequate security from the SP's office, the lawyer said.

After hearing Jhumon Das' bail request on September 23, the HC granted him bail.

According to the case statement, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh held a gathering called 'Shan-e-Risalat Sammelan' on March 15 in Sunamganj's Dirai upazila, where former Ameer Junaid Babunagari and joint secretary general Manunul Haque delivered sermons.

Following that, Jhumon Das made a status on Facebook claiming that Mamunul Haque's statement was disruptive to communal harmony, which was misinterpreted as an insult on the Hefazat, resulting in mayhem in Noagaon village, Shalla upazila, on March 17.

Approximately 90 Hindu homes were vandalized and robbed during the mayhem.

On March 16, police detained Jhumon in an attempt to prevent a prospective attack on the community, but the attempt failed. They presented Jhumon (25) who had been detained under section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and was brought before a Sunamganj court on March 17th, where he was sentenced to prison.

He has been imprisoned ever since. The incident provoked controversy all around the country. In the two days following the attack, thirty persons were arrested.

The mastermind of the attack, Shahidul Islam, was apprehended by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) on March 19.

Jhumon Das applied for bail seven times in the trial court and once in the Supreme Court. Following several rejections of bail requests, he submitted a new plea with the High Court, seeking bail, and was granted bail, according to the petitioner's lawyer.