Bangladeshi journalist Raghunath Kha arrested, allegedly electrocuted in custody
New York, January 25, 2023 – Bangladesh authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Raghunath Kha and investigate allegations that he was electrocuted and beaten in police custody, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. At around 11 a.m. on Monday, January 23, plainclothes police officers detained Kha, a correspondent for the privately owned broadcaster…
‘Completely unclear’: Mushtaq Ahmed’s lawyer seeks answers on how the Bangladeshi writer died in jail
One year after renowned Bangladeshi writer Mushtaq Ahmed died in jail, the circumstances of his death remain murky. While an investigative committee formed by the Home Ministry claimed he died of “natural causes,” his former lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua believes that Ahmed may have died of health issues that arose after alleged torture. In May 2020, the Rapid Action Battalion,…
Bangladesh authorities charge 3 journalists under Digital Security Act
Washington, D.C., September 21, 2021 — Bangladesh authorities must immediately drop all charges against journalists Kabir Kishore, Tasneem Khalil, and Shafiqul Islam Kajol, and cease harassing members of the press under the draconian Digital Security Act, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 8 and 12, the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal accepted Digital Security…
Jailed under Digital Security Act, Bangladeshi cartoonist Kabir Kishore says he was tortured
Bangladeshi cartoonist Kabir Kishore’s first stop after he was released from prison on March 4 after 10 months in custody was the hospital, where he was treated for a burst eardrum, leg injuries, diabetes, and other ailments after being taken from his home, jailed, and allegedly tortured. Days before his release, his colleague Mushtaq Ahmed, a co-accused…
Bangladeshi writer Mushtaq Ahmed dies in jail; cartoonist Kabir Kishore allegedly abused in custody
New York, February 25, 2021 — Bangladeshi authorities should conduct a swift, transparent, and independent investigation into the death of writer and commentator Mushtaq Ahmed in custody, and should release jailed political cartoonist Kabir Kishore unconditionally and investigate claims that he was subjected to physical abuse in custody, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today….
Bangladesh charges 3 journalists under Digital Security Act
New York, February 8, 2021 – In response to Bangladesh authorities’ recent filing of charges under the Digital Security Act against photographer Shafiqul Islam Kajol, writer Mushtaq Ahmed, and cartoonist Kabir Kishore, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We are extremely alarmed by Bangladeshi authorities’ continuous and blatant abuse of the Digital…
Bangladeshi authorities investigate 5 journalists, detain 2 under Digital Security Act for COVID-19 reporting
New York, June 22, 2020 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on authorities in Bangladesh to immediately and unconditionally release political cartoonist Kabir Kishore and writer and commentator Mushtaq Ahmed and to stop using the Digital Security Act to silence critical reporting on the coronavirus pandemic. On May 6, Kishore, Ahmed, and three…