Bangladeshi police have arrested a journalist of a leading daily under a controversial media law following the publishing of a story that criticized rising food prices in the country.
Bangladesh’s Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan later told reporters in his office that Shamsuzzaman Shams, a correspondent for Prothom Alo, was arrested under the Digital Security Act (DSA) as his report was “false, fabricated and ill-motivated.” The newspaper has denied the allegations.
Denounced by critics as “flawed” and “draconian,” the DSA allows for jail sentences of up to 14 years. Human rights groups have criticized Bangladesh for its press freedom record. United States-based Human Rights Watch said last year that nearly 250 journalists were reportedly subjected to attacks, harassment, and intimidation by state officials and others affiliated with the Bangladesh government in 2020.
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