Acting Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana ATM Masum has issued the following statement on 31st March 2023 protesting and condemning the case under the Digital Security Act against Daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman and the arrest of the Daily’s Savar correspondent Shamsuzzaman.

The Daily Prothom Alo published a report on last 26th of March, which was prepared by its Savar correspondent Shamsuzzaman. In connection with the report, he was arrested from his house on 28th March at midnight. Later, another case was filed under Digital Security Act against Daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman at Ramna police station.

Actually, the government is trying to subdue the voice of the media and the journalists explicitly.

Meanwhile, another case was filed against a reporter of Daily Jugantor Mahbub Alam Lablu under the Digital Security Act in Chittagong. Earlier, Daily Sangram’s photographer Abdul Aziz Faruqee was arrested while he was discharging his professional duties. Digital Security Act has already turned into a black law in Bangladesh. The government is using this act to oppress the journalist community. We are vehemently condemning such oppressive activities of the government.

The government is using this act to harass and torture people with dissident voices as well. Different international forums and platforms have been criticizing this act and its misuse for years. But the government is paying no heed to those objections.

We are urging the government to stop torture and repression and also to withdraw the case, filed against Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman and release all detained journalists including Shamsuzzaman and Abdul Aziz Faruqee immediately.