Boarding an airplane, Wasfia Nazreen, the first Bangladeshi to have climbed the Seven Summits, carried a banner message around the sky of New York city demanding the release of noted photographer Shahidul Alam.
The banner message “Free Shahidul Alam” the plane circled around the sky of Manhattan for one and half hours before the backdrop of a setting sun, Wasfia Nazreen said in a statement floated to the media yesterday.
The banner further urged to “free our teachers” referring to Shahidul’s role as a teacher, mentor and guide to the youth. The hashtags UNGA and Bangladesh could be seen.
Shahidul, also founder of Drik Picture Library, was picked up by plainclothes men from his home in the capital's Dhanmondi on August 5. He alleged he was tortured in jail.
He has been denied bail on several occasions and has been staying in prison since then.
Wasfia, also a national geographic explorer, carried the message from the sky, the statement reads.
“Dr. Alam is an inspiration for Bangladesh and beyond. He should be celebrated amongst Bangladeshis for the treasure and pride that he is. We, the youth of Bangladesh who comprise almost seventy percent of the Nation, urge the Government of Bangladesh to immediately and unconditionally release him and all our teachers. I hope our respected leaders will pay heed to our message.”
As the plane circled around the iconic Statue of Liberty, a packed crowd curiously cheered from below and a rainbow appeared in the sky, sometimes reflecting on the face of Shahidul Alam, the statement said.
This creative protest follows a weekend of demonstrations and talks held at the city calling for greater press freedom in Bangladesh, particularly addressing the case of Shahidul.
Demonstrators gathered outside the UN General Assembly on September 27 to call for freedom of the press and protection of journalists in Bangladesh.
At a separate event at the UN General Assembly, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) covered the imprisonment of Shahidul, along with journalists from Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, and Egypt. They denounced several countries for imprisoning journalists, and others for failing to admonish those that do.
Shahidul, an internationally renowned Bangladeshi photojournalist, human rights activist and academic, has been in police custody since August 5, following an interview on Al Jazeera in which he claimed that the broader context of ongoing student protests was pent-up anger at government corruption and misuse of power, the statement said.
The 63-year-old Shahidul Alam says he has been beaten in custody, and his health has deteriorated in prison. His bail hearing has been postponed repeatedly, dragging out the judiciary process in a war of attrition, the statement said.
Shahidul’s imprisonment and the passage of the new Digital Security Act, point to a disturbing trend toward suppressing freedom of press and speech, it added.
The call for Shahidul’s release has been supported internationally by numerous organizations, including 12 Nobel Laureates and international figures including Kerry Kennedy, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Hollywood actress and activist Sharon Stone, Amartya Sen, British MPs, including Tulip Siddiq, the niece of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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