Scholars, writers voice concern over ‘curbing’ freedom of expression
Saturday, 20 December 2014
Fifty-one scholars, writers and activists from home and abroad have expressed deep concern over the use of contempt of court law in curbing freedom of expression. The signatories to the statement are Dr Shahdeen Malik, Khushi Kabir, Rasheda K Choudhury, Dr Ali Riaz, M Hafizuddin Khan, Dr Binayak Sen, Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, Shireen Huq, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Ali Ahmed Ziauddin, Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Dr Perween Hasan, Dr CR Abrar, Dr Firdous Azim, Dr Amena Mohsin, Farida Akhter, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Dr Faustina Pereira, Dr Bina D’Costa, Shaheen Akhter, Afsan Chowdhury, Dr Asif Nazrul, Rahnuma Ahmed, Dr Shahidul Alam, Leesa Gazi, Dr Dina M Siddiqi, Anu Muhammad, Lubna Marium, Dr Naila Zaman Khan, Zakir Hossain, Tahmima Anam, Arup Rahee, Muktasree Chakma Sathi, Dr Zarina Nahar Kabir, M Nur Khan Liton, Dr Samia Huq, Dr Shahnaz Huda, Shabnam Nadiya, Mahmud Rahman, Nasrin Siraj Annie, Seuty Sabur, Anusheh Anadil, Sarah Shehabuddin, Ilira Dewan, Tibra Ali, Delwar Hussain, Masud Khan, Rezaur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman and Hana Shams Ahmed. “We urge and appeal to the authorities concerned to reform the contempt of court law as it is a relic of our colonial past that undermines the very spirit of Bangladesh’s glorious war of national liberation,” the statement said, according to a news agency.