Photographer Shahidul Alam gets bail

The High Court has granted bail to eminent photographer Shahidul Alam in a case filed under the controversial ICT Act.

A bench of Justice Sheikh Abdul Awwal and Justice Bhishmadeb Chakrabarty passed the order on Thursday.

Deputy Attorney General Fazlur Rahman Khan appeared for the state while Barristers Sara Hossain and Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for Shahidul Alam during the court session.

On August 4 and 5, the photographer live-streamed on Facebook, several times, to report on the protests in Dhaka’s Jigatola. Clashes took place between students demonstrating for safer roads, police, and allegedly, activists of ruling party affiliate organizations.

Shahidul, who is the founder of the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute and also Drik, talked about these issues and criticized the government during an interview with Aljazeera on August 5.

He was then picked up by DB police officials from his Dhanmondi residence on Sunday night, and taken to the DB office, on Mintoo Road, on Monday morning.

Later, the 63-year-old photographer was placed on a seven-day remand in a case filed under the ICT Act. He was charged with spreading fabricated information, rumours, and false information against the government via social media.