Author: Subir Bhaumik in Calcutta
Publication: BBC News
Date: December 1, 2001
The High Court in Bangladesh has
directed the government to justify the detention of leading journalist
and writer Shahriar Kabir who was arrested last month on charges of anti-state
activities.
The order was issued after his wife
filed a petition in the High Court challenging the detention order issued
by the home ministry last week.
Meanwhile, media groups have asked
the government to meet its commitment to respect press freedom.
Lawyers for Mr Kabir argued that
his arrest was an attempt by the authorities to curtail freedom of expression
- a right ensured by the country's constitution.
Justification order
Responding to the petition the high
court asked the government to explain why Mr Kabir's detention should not
be declared illegal.
It has given the government one
week to respond.
Mr Kabir was arrested on 22 November
at Dhaka airport upon his return from the eastern Indian city of Calcutta.
He had travelled there to film minority
Hindus who reportedly fled Bangladesh following post-election violence
in October.
Special Powers Act
Mr Kabir is now being detained at
Dhaka's central jail under the controversial Special Powers Act.
This allows the government to imprison
any individual for up to 90 days without any formal charge.
The government has alleged that
the journalist was involved in anti-state activities, but has not filed
formal charges against him.
It says the authorities are examining
video footage he shot in Calcutta - which was seized by the police.
The government says legal action
would be taken against the journalist on concrete evidence.
Rights curb
However, local media and human rights
organisations view the arrest of Mr Kabir as a move to curtail the journalist's
right to free speech and expression.
These organisations and opposition
parties have condemned the arrest and are demanding his immediate release.
A joint report by the Bangladesh
Centre for Development, Journalism and Communication and the Paris-based
Reporters Sans Frontieres has said that at least 40 journalists have been
attacked or threatened with death by supporters of the ruling coalition.
The report says the two organisations
have received reports of attacks on journalists since the coalition - led
by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - came
to power in October.
The groups say the rise of incidents
against journalist discredits the government's press freedom policy.
