Top Bangladeshi photographer arrested for demo interview

DHAKA: Bangladesh police said yesterday they arrested a prize-winning photographer for ‘ provocative comments’ in an Al- Jazeera interview about protests by teenagers that have convulsed the country for over a week.

At the weekend, a heavy-handed response to the protests over road safety left more than 100 injured as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets, and mobs attacked demonstrators, photographers and even the US ambassador’s car.

At least 20 plainclothes officers picked up Shahidul Alam, 63, at his Dhaka home late on Sunday, hours after his comments were broadcast by the Qatar- based TV station, his colleague Abir Abdullah told AFP.

“He has been brought to our office early this morning ( Monday). We are interrogating him for giving false information to different media and for provocative comments,” police official Moshiur Rahman told AFP.

“And he could not give proper answers. He admitted that these are his personal opinion,” he said, adding police would take legal actions against him. — AFP