Arafat Hasan: The Com-mittee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), PEN America, Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are co-sponsoring a protest in New York today demanding the release of noted photographer Shahidul Alam from jail.
Actress and activist Sharon Stone, Gayatri Chakravarti Spivak, among others, are expected to attend and speak, along with the sponsors in the protest which is being supported by human rights groups and journalist associations.
Family and friends of Shahidul Alam organized the event at 5:00pm (US time) at the UN headquarters, according to an ‘event’ created on Facebook.
CPJ is hosting a side event at the UN General Assembly tomorrow from 11:00am to 12:30pm (EDT) to discuss Shahidul’s case among others.
Shahidul, also founder of the Drik Picture Library, was picked up by plainclothes men from his home in the capital’s Dhanmondi on August 5. Police filed the case against him and produced him before a Dhaka court the following day. He was then placed on a seven-day remand.
Shahidul said in court that he was tortured in custody. Police denied the allegation.
On completion of his remand, Shahidul was denied bail and sent to jail by a Dhaka court on August 13.
Our time is a news portal