Drop the Charges Against Shahidul Alam
Shahidul Alam, the world-famous photojournalist who also founded Bangladesh’s first photo library, was arrested in Dhaka on August 6, 2018 and has been charged with “spreading propaganda and false information against the government.” The widely condemned charges against Alam were filed under the Information and Communications Technology Act, a law likewise denounced by Bangladeshis and the international community for its arbitrary and heavy-handed nature.
On Sunday, August 5, Alam spoke to Al Jazeera regarding massive nationwide protests that had been gripping Bangladesh following the deaths of two youths struck by a speeding bus in Dhaka earlier in August. As university students took to the streets demanding safer roads, authorities took repressive action—shutting down bus lines and universities, and firing rubber bullets into crowds. Alam alleged on Al Jazeera that police had “help from armed goons to combat unarmed students demanding safe roads”. He also posted a Facebook video expressing his support for the protests and denouncing the violence.
Hours after his interview and Facebook post went live, 20 to 30 plainclothes police officers raided the Drik Photo Library office in central Dhaka to arrest Alam, the library’s founder.
During his initial court hearing Monday, August 6, Alam was charged under the draconian Information and Communications Technology Act. Section 57 of the Act has been used repeatedly in recent years to prosecute legitimate journalism and other forms of free expression, and even the Bangladeshi government has determined that the law must be replaced.
Friends of the photographer reportedly claimed that he was unable to walk into the courtroom by himself for the initial hearing, and Alam himself testified that he had been tortured in custody. Alam’s wife, Rahnuma Ahmed, petitioned the court the following day to perform a medical evaluation, which was granted and performed on Wednesday, August 7. However, doctors at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University were unable to find any signs that Alam required hospitalization, and he was promptly returned to the custody of the Detective Branch of the Dhaka police. He has been held at Dhaka Central Jail since.
Regardless, Alam requested bail on September 18 on the grounds of illness, promising that he would not leave the country if released. The request was immediately denied by Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who offered no real reason for this denial. However, the High Court has since intervened, demanding on Sunday, October 7 that the state officially provide reasoning for why Alam should not receive bail.
Alam currently awaits further developments in his criminal case, while the international community continues to demand his immediate release. All charges must be dropped as they were an arbitrary and excessive response to Alam simply exercising his right to freedom of expression. Please join us in calling for Bangladesh to drop the charges against Shahidul Alam.
