Bangladesh SC extends stay granted to photographer Shahidul Alam under ICT Act

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh on Sunday extended till December 18 the stay on investigations into the case against acclaimed photographer, social activist and writer Shahidul Alam.

Shahidul Alam was arrested on August 5 last year under the controversial ICT Act on charges of spreading rumours and provoking people during an agitation for safer roads by students in Dhaka . He spent over 100 days in jail before he was released after being granted bail by the High Court.

His arrest and imprisonment sparked outrage at home and abroad.

The ICT Act was replaced by a new law called the Digital Security Act in September last year. While the government claimed that the new law was historic, media organisations and human right bodies have criticised it for containing harsh provision allowing police officials to search or arrest anyone without warrant.

Shahidul Alam is a renowned photographer and founder of the Drik Gallery, Pathshala and the South-Asian Media Institute in Bangladesh.