Shahidul Alam. Image: Rahnuma Ahmed.On 5 August, the internationally acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam was arrested by Bangladeshi police for making “provocative comments” about student-led mass protests which gripped the country for more than a week.
Alam was forcibly taken from his home in the capital Dhaka by at least 25 police officers hours after accusing the government of clinging to power by “brute force” in an interview on Al Jazeera TV. On Saturday, more than a 100 people were injured at a demonstration when police fired rubber bullets into a crowd. The protests were spurred by the killing of two schoolchildren by a speeding bus on July 29. Tens of thousands of students have since taken to the streets to demand improvements to road safety.
Alam was charged last week under section 57 of Bangladesh’s Information Communications Technology Act, a broad law that prohibits electronic communication which “prejudice[s] the image of the state”. Human rights organisations have accused the government of using the law to suppress free speech and detain critics. Prior to his court hearing, Alam told reporters he was beaten while in custody. Police have denied the allegations but a high court judge has ordered an investigation into Alam’s treatment. He remains imprisoned in Dhaka.
