Zunaid Palak Did Not Order Internet Shutdown: Lawyer

Speaking at a press briefing after the hearing on Thursday, January 15, he said, "Palak’s attitude toward the protesters in July-August was sensitive. The internet was never completely shut down; limitations were only imposed to a restricted extent to prevent rumors."

Liton mentioned that there are 97 cases against Palak, and he has been on remand for 89 days. Due to insufficient time to prepare regarding the framing of charges, a discharge petition was submitted to the court. He further added, "This is a highly technical case. Palak has explanations for every stage of the internet-related allegations brought against him. Based on the evidence submitted by the prosecution, we have stated that there are no elements to warrant framing these charges."

Palak’s lawyer also noted that the authority to make decisions regarding internet shutdowns was not in his client’s hands. Instead, he claimed Palak tried to control the situation while remaining sensitive toward the protesters. Liton Ahmed expressed hope that the court would grant Palak an exemption from these charges after proper observation.