The government has 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 in the 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.
 
After being arrested in that case, Shafik Rehman had to stay in jail for five months in 2016 but he moved to the UK that same year after being released on bail.
 
Shafik Rehman, also former editor of the newsweekly-turned-daily 'Jai Jai Din', returned home on Aug 18 this year after living in the UK for six years.