Clearly an act of intimidation: RSF on arrest of Shams

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called for the immediate release of Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams, who was arrested early Wednesday after being sued in a Digital Security Act case while his newspaper's editor himself faces the same charges.

"Make no mistake, the arrest of Shamsuzzaman Shams and the case filed against Matiur Rahman [Prothom Alo editor] have no legal basis and are clearly an act of intimidation by the government towards all journalists," says the Paris-based organisation in a statement.

"We demand that the charges filed against them be dropped at once and, with less than a year to go to parliamentary elections, we call on Sheikh Hasina's government to respect journalistic pluralism and independence, or else these elections will lack all democratic credibility."

RSF sent an email yesterday to Additional Inspector General of Police Mohammad Ali Mia, also the head of Criminal Investigation Department, asking on what evidence he had based his decision to order Shams' arrest, reads the statement.

The email has so far remained unanswered while Shams has not been allowed to see a lawyer, it adds.