Editors' Council condemns arrest of journalist Anis Alamgir in anti-terrorism case
The council noted such actions revive memories of state repression against journalists during past authoritarian regimes.
The Editors' Council has strongly condemned the incident of summoning a journalist to the Detective Branch (DB) office and subsequently showing him arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
In a statement today (15 December), the Editors' Council said journalist Anis Alamgir was summoned to the DB office yesterday without any specific allegation.
He was detained there, and the following day a case was filed against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act, after which he was shown arrested, the council said.
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The council noted such actions revive memories of state repression against journalists during past authoritarian regimes.
"Similar practices were witnessed during the tenure of the Awami League government, when false cases, harassment and arbitrary arrests of journalists were frequent. The current incident is a repetition of that regrettable reality," reads the statement.
Expressing strong condemnation, the council stated that if there are specific allegations against any journalist, those must be addressed strictly through existing laws and due process of justice.
"Summoning a journalist to the DB office without charges, detaining him there, and later arresting him by filing a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act is unacceptable under any circumstances," it added.
The Editors' Council further pointed out that since the fall of Sheikh Hasina following the mass uprising on 5 August 2024, numerous journalists have been implicated in false murder cases, and many remain in jail.
The council has previously demanded the withdrawal of these fabricated cases. Although the interim government's law adviser had promised action against such false cases and harassment, the cases have yet to be withdrawn, it said.
The Editors' Council said these actions once again recall the repression of journalists during authoritarian rule and reiterated its demand for the immediate withdrawal of all baseless cases against journalists.
