The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Bangladeshi authorities to immediately release Hedait Hossain Molla, a reporter who was arrested in Khulna over his election coverage.
A court has ordered Molla to be held for three days pending investigation into an accusation that he violated the Digital Security Act and reported “false information” about the number of votes cast from Khulna during the general election on December 30, CPJ said in a statement quoting media reports.Molla works for the Dhaka Tribune, Bangla Tribune and Probaho, according to the CPJ statement issued from New York.
A second journalist, Rashidul Islam, from the daily Manab Zamin, was named in the police report on the same charge, but has not been arrested, according to the reports.CPJ Asia Programme Coordinator Steven Butler said the government should reaffirm its commitment to democratic values and refrain from abusing the Digital Security Act to attack press freedom.
source: UNB
