Drik Gallery founder Shahidul Alam in DB custody

Drik Gallery founder and photographer Shahidul Alam has been taken to the Detective Branch offices for questioning.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 August 2018, 06:43 AM
Updated : 6 August 2018, 03:04 PM

Alam had been picked up from his home in Dhanmondi around 10:45pm on Sunday.

Police Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman confirmed that Alam was brought to the Detective Branch offices early in the morning.

Police did not comment on what grounds Alam, who is also the founder of the Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, had been taken into custody.

The photographer had taken to Facebook Live several times on Saturday and Sunday to discuss clashes in the Jigatala area between students protesting for safer roads and Bangladesh Chhatra League activists. 
 
He also discussed the issue in an interview with Al Jazeera, where he criticised the government.

“He was first taken to the Dhanmondi police station around 10:45pm, but he could not be found there at 12am,” Drik Communications Officer Amina Neyamat had told bdnews24.com during the night, citing Shahidul’s wife Rahnuma Ahmed.

Shahidul Alam

Police have yet to report where Alam was taken before he was brought to the DB offices.

Alam’s family came to the station to report that some people had whisked him away from his home, Dhanmondi Police Station OC Abdul Latif had told bdnews24.com.

“But he was not brought to our station.”

Drik had released a statement saying that Alam, its managing director, had been ‘kidnapped’ from his home.

He was screaming when he was forced out of his home and into a waiting car, Drik said.

People taking Alam had taped the CCTV camera lenses, took the CCTV footage and locked up the guards on duty at the house, according to the Drik statement.

His wife was in another flat, heard the screams and ran down the stairs.

But the car carrying her husband and two others had sped off by the time she arrived.