Image Courtesy: Their World
24 Sraban 1425/8 August 2018
Over the past week or so school children and university students in Bangladesh have been demanding road safety, rule of law and justice. It has been reported that in the presence of the police, members of the student and youth wings of the ruling Awami League, the Bangladesh Chattra League and Jubo League, have been attacking unarmed young protesters, as well as journalists and photographers. It is also reported that several hundred protesters are being arbitrarily detained and subjected to police remand, including a pregnant woman. Freedoms of expression association and assembly are being unlawfully and arbitrarily suppressed.
In the late evening of Sunday 5 August 2018, internationally and nationally renowned photographer, academic and human rights activist, Shahidul Alam, was unlawfully abducted from his home, allegedly by law enforcement personnel, and without an arrest warrant. Yesterday, he was produced before the Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court, where the Detective Branch of Police submitted a prayer for ten days’ remand. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Asaduzzaman Noor, has granted seven days’ remand in a case filed against him under Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act 2006 (amended in 2009 & 2013). As he was being carried into the court room, he is reported to have said to journalists present, "I was hit. They washed my blood-stained clothes and then made me wear them again". He is also reported to have said: ‘I was not given access to any lawyer during detention’ His alleged crime was taking photographs of the brutal attacks on peacefully protesting students and exercising his freedom of opinion in an interview to an international television channel.
It has been further reported widely in the media that numerous innocent students are being subjected to torture in police custody and remand as well as various forms of harassment and intimidation whereas those allegedly responsible for imposing violence upon a non-political and peaceful movement of the young students are enjoying impunity.
We the undersigned strongly condemn such repression by the government, including arbitrary police remand under the repressive ICT Act against him. We demand that the Government investigate allegations of unlawful arrest and torture and immediately and unconditionally facilitate Shahidul Alam’s release and punish those responsible for his alleged abduction and torture. If anything he has done is considered against the law charges could be brought in the due process, but nothing justifies unlawful abduction, arbitrary remand and especially unconstitutional torture in custody. We also demand that the government stop repression of students, academics, journalists and human rights activists immediately, release all who have been arbitrarily detained and take every step to ensure road safety, freedom of speech, freedom of movement and freedom of association for all, without discrimination.
- Dr Hameeda Hossain, Human Rights Defender
- Bashirul Haq, Architect
- Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Physician and Health Rights Activist
- Shaheen Anam , Human Rights Defender
- Barrister Raja Devashish Roy
- Dr Iftekhar Zaman, Executive Director, Transparency International Bangladesh
- Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary, SHUJON
- M Hafizuddin Khan, Chairperson, SHUJON
- Mahfuz Ullah, Media Professional, writer, researcher & environmentalist
- Barrister Manzoor Hasan OBE, Executive Director, Centre for Peace and Justice, BRAC University
- Dr Chowdhury Abrar, Professor, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka
- Lubna Marium, Artistic Director, Shadhona
- Professor Dr Naila Z. Khan, Paediatrician
- Robaet Ferdous, Academic, University of Dhaka
- Dr. Shahnaz Huda, Professor of Law, University of Dhaka
- Dr. Ali Riaz, Professor of Political Science, Illinois State University, USA
- Dr. Amena Mohsin, Professor, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka
- Dr Anu Muhammad, Professor, Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar University,
- Khushi Kabir, Coordinator, Nijera Kori
- Professor Dr Perween Hasan, Vice-Chancellor, Central Women’s University
- Dr Firdous Azim, Professor, Department of English, BRAC University
- Farida Akhter, Executive Director, UBINIG (Policy Research for Development Alternative)
- Dr Elora Halim Chowdhury, Professor & Chair, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department, University of Massachusetts, USA
- Sheepa Hafiza, Human Rights Defender, Ain O Shalish Kendra
- Md. Nur Khan, Human Rights Activist
- Adilur Rahman Khan, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh
- Dr Asif Nazrul, Professor, Department of Law, University of Dhaka
- Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh
- Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Professor, Department of Law, University of Dhaka
- Rina Roy, Rights Activist
- Dr. Shapan Adnan, Economist
- Dr Azfar Hussain, Associate Professor, Liberal Studies/Interdisciplinary Studies, Grand Valley State University, Michigan, USA
- ASM Nasiruddin Elan, Human Rights Defender
- Arup Rahee, Singer, Lyricist and Cultural Activist
- Hana Shams Ahmed, PhD Student, York University, Canada
- Leesa Gazi, Cultural Activist and Theatre Practitioner
- Ashraf Kaiser, Journalist
- Anusheh Anadil, Musician and Cultural Activist
- Delwar Hussain, Researcher, UK
- Ilira Dewan, Indigenous People’s Rights Activist
- Maheen Sultan, Women’s Rights Activist
- Dina Siddiqi, Academic
- Tarek Omar Chowdhury, Writer
- Mirza Taslima Sultana, Academic
- Zakir Hossain, Coordinator, Nagorik Uddyog
- Ziaur Rahman, Lawyer
- Nasrin Siraj Annie, PhD Student and Filmmaker
- Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies
- Dr Tasnim Azim, Immunologist and Health Rights Activist
- Dr M Muzaherul Huq, Professor of Forensic Medicine
- Dr Seuty Sabur, Academic, BRAC University
- Wasfia Nazreen, Mountaineer
- Lamiya Morshed, Social Activist
- Dina Hossain, Filmmaker
- Cynthia Farid, Advocate, Supreme Court
- Tasaffy Hossain, Rights Activist
- MasudKhan, Lawyer, The Legal Circle
- Muktasree Chakma, Women’s Rights Activist
- Tasmiah Afrin Mou, Filmmaker
- Dr Elora Shehabuddin, Associate Professor of Humanities and Political Science, Rice University, Texas, USA
- Rashad Al, Resident Senior Fellow Institute for Strategic Dialogue, UK
- Enamul Hoque, Photographer / Filmmaker / Artist, UK
- Shahadat Hossain, Filmmaker
- Khandaker Sumon, Filmmaker
- Sohini Alam, Musician
- Manjida Ahamed, PhD Student, Middlesex University, London
- Ali Ahmed Ziauddin, Freedom Fighter and Writer
- Rezaur Rahman Lenin, Human Rights Defender
- Shireen P Huq, Women’s Rights Activist
