Journo Anis Alamgir on five-day remand

A Dhaka court on Monday placed journalist Anis Alamgir on five-day remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The judge of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the police, said Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq.

Earlier in the day, the investigation officer of the case, Muniruzzaman, also an inspector of the Uttara West Police Station in Dhaka, produced Anis before the court and petitioned for putting him on remand for five days.

Upon hearing the petition, the court granted the remand.

Anis was picked up from a gym in Dhanmondi on Sunday evening and then taken to the Detective Branch office on Minto Road around 7:30pm, according to sources.

On Monday, he was shown arrested in the case.

Arian Ahmed, a central organiser of the July Revolutionary Alliance, filed the complaint with the Uttara West Police Station earlier on Monday against four individuals - Anis, actress Meher Afroz Shaon, Maria Kispotta, and Imtu Ratish.

Anis has worked in print and electronic media.

In recent times, he has drawn attention for his active presence on television talk shows.

Meanwhile, the Editors' Council on Monday strongly condemned the filing of the case against Anis.

It said Anis had been taken to the DB office on Sunday without any specific allegations.

He was held there overnight. A case was registered against him the following day, with the authorities showing him arrested in that, said the council in a press statement issued by its President Nurul Kabir and Secretary Dewan Hanif Mahmud.

It said such actions revived the memories of state harassment of journalists during the past authoritarian governments.

Besides, it noted that similar practices were observed under the previous Awami League government, where journalists faced false cases, harassment, and arbitrary arrests.

The council described the incident of Anis as a repetition of that unfortunate pattern.

It emphasised that if there were valid allegations against any journalist, those must have been handled through proper legal channels and judicial procedures.

Summoning journalists without accusations, detaining them, or filing cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act was entirely unacceptable, it said.

It also pointed out that since the uprising on August 5 last year, which led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, many journalists had been subjected to false murder cases and some remained in prison.

Despite government assurances to take action against false cases and harassment, no significant steps had been taken to withdraw those, it said.

The council demanded the immediate withdrawal of all baseless cases and reiterated its condemnation of the harassment of journalists.

bikashju@gmail.com