Bangladeshi Journalist Anis Alamgir Arrested Under Anti-Terrorism Law as Critics Allege Media Suppression

The Editors' Council in Bangladesh has expressed strong condemnation regarding the arrest.

Bangladesh:

Bangladeshi journalist Anis Alamgir has been taken into custody by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) under the country's Anti-Terrorism legislation. Following his arrest, an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court has ordered him to remain in police custody for a five-day period.

The arrest occurred on Sunday evening when Alamgir was apprehended by police after leaving a gym in the Dhanmondi-2 area of Dhaka. He was subsequently transported to the DMP's Detective Branch office.

Mohammad Ali Arafat, who served as Information Minister during ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's administration, stated, "Cases have been initiated against four individuals, including journalist Anis Alamgir and actress Meher Afroz Shaon, under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This appears to be another attempt to intimidate and silence independent and progressive voices."

Arafat claimed that Muhammad Yunus had previously employed the same legislation to prohibit the Awami League, and that Yunus has "subsequently applied it extensively—targeting not only political parties but also journalists, actors, academics, and others."

He further added that Yunus's "methodical suppression of secular political parties and progressive voices across media, culture, and academia suggests an apparent strategy of appeasing radical Islamist groups." Arafat concluded that such measures "risk guiding Bangladesh toward becoming an Islamist state, a direction that directly contradicts the fundamental ideals and foundations upon which the country's Liberation War was built."

A formal complaint under Bangladesh's Anti-Terror law was lodged on Sunday at Dhaka city's Uttara West Police Station against Alamgir, actor Meher Afroz Shaon, model Maria Kishpatt, and media personality Imtu Ratish Imtiaz. The complainant in this case is identified as Arian Ahmed, a central organizer affiliated with the July Revolutionary Alliance.

The complaint alleges that these individuals have been advocating for the rehabilitation of the Awami League, despite the current ban on the party's activities in Bangladesh. Anis Alamgir, who previously worked for Bangladesh Daily Ajker Kagoj, was recognized for his balanced criticism of Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government.

Among the others named in the complaint is actor Meher Afroz Shaon, who faced arrest earlier in February this year on charges of conspiring against the state. Shaon, who ran as an Awami League candidate in the previous election, also experienced an attack on her family's home in Jamalpur, which was set ablaze in February.

Critics of Muhammad Yunus's government assert that Alamgir's arrest represents a crackdown on press freedom in Bangladesh. The Editors' Council in Bangladesh has issued a statement condemning the arrest.

The council observed that such actions "evoke memories of state repression against journalists during previous authoritarian regimes." The council also emphasized that if specific allegations exist against a journalist, these must be addressed through proper legal channels and with full adherence to due process of justice.