Senior journalist and television talk-show commentator Anis Alamgir has been placed on a five-day police remand under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act, prompting condemnation from editors and rights groups who say the move risks undermining press freedom.
Police said Alamgir was arrested after being questioned for 12 hours by the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. He was produced before a court on Monday, which granted five days’ remand, rejecting a police request for seven days.
The case was filed late Sunday night at Uttara West police station by Arian Ahmed, a central organiser of the July Revolutionary Alliance. Investigators later showed Alamgir arrested in connection with the case.
According to police, Alamgir was taken into DB custody at around 8pm on Sunday as he was leaving a gym in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area.
Uttara West police station Officer-in-Charge Kazi Md Rafiq Ahmed told TIMES of Bangladesh that the court had approved the five-day remand and that investigations were ongoing against the other accused named in the case.
The case also lists actress Meher Afroz Shaon, fashion model Maria Kispotta, and television presenter Imtu Ratish as accused.
Police officials said Shaon had previously been taken into DB custody on 6 February for questioning over allegations of “anti-state conspiracy”. She was later released on a bond. Shaon, who has been vocal on social media, is the wife of late novelist Humayun Ahmed. Her mother, Tahura Ali, is a former Awami League lawmaker.
In the first information report (FIR), the complainant alleges that following the July 2024 anti-discrimination student movement, supporters of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina—now described as absconding—have been engaged in efforts to destabilise the state and sabotage infrastructure.
The complaint further claims that since 5 August 2024, social media platforms and television talk shows have been used to revive banned organisations and promote the political rehabilitation of the Awami League, encouraging activities deemed hostile to the state.
Anis Alamgir is a senior journalist who has worked with several Bangladeshi media outlets, including Ajker Kagoj, Asian TV, Boishakhi TV, and Manabkantha. He also reported from Iraq during the Iraq War. In recent years, his commentary on television talk shows has frequently drawn public attention.
Editors’ Council condemns arrest
The Editors’ Council has strongly condemned Alamgir’s arrest, saying it was carried out without any specific or clearly defined allegation.
In a statement issued on Monday, the council said such actions revive memories of state repression against journalists during past authoritarian periods. The statement was signed by the council’s President Nurul Kabir and General Secretary Dewan Hanif Mahmud.
The council said similar practices had been observed during the Awami League’s time in power, when journalists frequently faced what it described as false cases, harassment, and arbitrary arrests. The current incident, it said, appeared to be a repetition of that “disturbing reality”.
While acknowledging that journalists are not above the law, the Editors’ Council said any allegation against a journalist must be addressed through due legal process and in line with principles of justice.
Summoning a journalist to the DB office without a clear charge, detaining them, and later arresting them under the Anti-Terrorism Act was “wholly unacceptable”, the statement said, calling for the withdrawal of what it described as baseless cases against journalists.
Ain o Salish Kendra expresses deep concern
Human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has also expressed deep concern, calling the use of anti-terror legislation against a journalist a clear misuse of the law.
In a separate statement, ASK said applying the Anti-Terrorism Act in this case went beyond the law’s intended scope and purpose. The organisation warned that such actions threaten freedom of expression and create a climate of fear aimed at suppressing dissent.
ASK called for the immediate withdrawal of the case against Alamgir and urged authorities to refrain from using security laws to silence journalists or critical voices.
