UN human rights experts have urged Bangladeshi authorities to immediately release photographer Shahidul Alam, who was arrested and allegedly "tortured" after reporting abuses against student protesters demanding road safety.
On August 5, Alam was arrested from his house in Dhaka, hours after an international media outlet telecast an interview with him on the student demonstrations.
He appeared before court the following day, where he reportedly showed signs of torture, the United Nations human rights experts said in a statement issued from Geneva on Sunday.
Alam has been placed on remand on charges of spreading propaganda and false information against the government and is now in jail, says a report on UNB agency.
"The arrest and alleged ill-treatment of Alam is extremely worrying and takes place in a general context of a crackdown against young students and others calling for better public governance, reforms and justice in Bangladesh, including media workers and other civil society," said the human rights experts.
"We urge the relevant authorities to immediately release Mr. Alam and to take effective measures to have all allegations of torture investigated promptly, effectively and impartially. We also urge them to ensure a safe and enabling environment for media workers," they said.
The experts are: Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; and Seong-Phil Hong, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
