Expressing concern over the arrest of the Daily Prothom Alo reporter Samsuzzaman Shams by police in plain clothes, 30 eminent citizens have said that such an arrest at night without a warrant is unimaginable in a civilized country.
They also demanded the unconditional release of the journalist in a statement sent to the media on Wednesday night.
Those who signed the statement include former Dhaka University vice chancellor Prof Anwarullah Chowdhury, photographer Shahidul Alam, Prof Anu Muhammad, Prof Dilara Chowdhury, Prof Rahnuma Ahmed and Prof Asif Nazrul.
It was a violation of the constitutional rights of the journalist by arresting him without a warrant, the statement said, adding that Article 33 (1) of the Bangladesh Constitution stipulates that no person who is arrested shall be detained in custody without being informed, as soon as may be, of the grounds for such arrest.
However, the home minister could not say specifically why Samsuzzaman was arrested when asked by reporters at the Secretariat on Wednesday. He was shown arrested in a case filed by a Jubo League leader in the afternoon.
Apart from Samsuzzaman, there have been many incidents of media workers being arrested and harassed in cases filed under the DSA, they said. The country's human rights situation has been declining day by day and the space for freedom of expression shrinking alarmingly. The professional security of the media workers is also under threat under such circumstances.
Through the statement, the eminent citizens demanded the unconditional release of Samsuzzaman and that the charges against him be dropped. They also said the DSA must be repealed to ensure the freedom of expression of the masses.
