The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Bangladeshi authorities to release Dhaka Tribune Khulna district correspondent Hedait Hossain Molla, arrested in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
On Wednesday, a Khulna court placed Hedait on a three-day remand in the case.
"The government should reaffirm its commitment to democratic values and refrain from abusing the Digital Security Act to attack press freedom," CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler, in Washington, DC, said in statement.
The statement also mentioned that several journalists covering the election were attacked and denied entry to polling centers.
Hedait is also a correspondent for the Bangla Tribune, and the city editor of Khulna-based Daily Probaho.
On Tuesday evening, plainclothes policemen arrested the journalist in a case filed under the Digital Security Act, 2018, for providing “false” information regarding the 11th general election.
Rashedul Islam, the Khulna correspondent of Daily Manabzamin, was also sued in same case.
Khulna Assistant Returning Officer and Batiaghata Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Debashish Chowdhury filed the case with Batiaghata police station.
In the first information report (FIR), Debashish Chowdhury wrote that despite 80% voter turnout in the Khulna 1 constituency—which encompasses the Batighata and Dacope upazilas—Hedait had reported that 22,419 more votes were cast than the actual number of total voters in the constituency during election, which was held on December 30, 2018.
In the case statement, Debashish claimed that contents of the report were untrue.