Shahidul Alam Denied Bail; Ordered Moved to New Jail Cell: #freeshahidulalam Update | PDNPulse

Shahidul Alam, the award-winning photographer, teacher, and founder of the photo agencies Drik Photo and Majority World, was denied bail at a hearing on September 11, 36 days after plainclothes police dragged him from his home. Alam has been charged under Section 57 of Bangladesh’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, which criminalizes the sharing of information that “prejudices the image of the state or a person.” He had posted Facebook videos and given an interview to Al Jazeera in which he criticized the government for attacks on journalists and student protesters. Police filed a case claiming Alam had “spread false propaganda.” Human Rights Watch says Alam’s detention is “politically motivated,” and is being used by the government to demonstrate that “no one who dares criticize or challenge its actions will be spared.”