Some 101 teachers of Dhaka University (DU) yesterday demanded release of Atiqullah Khan Masud, editor of the daily Janakantha, on bail.
In a joint statement yesterday, they said Atiqullah Khan Masud is now suffering from neurological problems, heart disease, intestinal disorder and Kidney and eye problems as he has been detained for 19 months.
Recently, doctors have advised him to have follow-up treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore where he earlier underwent treatment for his heart disease, the teachers said and called on the government to release him on the humanitarian grounds.
They also said the daily Janakantha has also been in crisis because of the detention of its editor and this is a national crisis. The crisis facing the newspaper now is being considered an obstacle to ensuring press freedom and upholding democracy, they observed.
The signatories to the statement include Prof AAMS Arefin Siddque, Prof Md Anwar Hossain, Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam, Prof ATM Nurur Rahman Khan, Prof MM Akash, Prof Abul Barkat, Prof Muhammad Samad and Prof Harun-or-Rashid.