A leading international human rights organisation has sharply condemned the arrest of a senior journalist in Bangladesh under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), warning that the use of “terror legislation” to muzzle free expression and association runs contrary to international law.
The criticism follows the arrest of veteran journalist Anis Alamgir, who was reportedly taken into custody by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police without specific charges and later placed on a five-day remand on 15 December in a case registered under the ATA.
Citing media reports, Amnesty International said Alamgir was detained after a complaint alleged that he and four others had used social media and other media platforms to express support for the Awami League.
Condemning the arrest, Rehab Mahamoor, a member of Amnesty International, said the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government should be creating space for free expression ahead of Bangladesh’s February 2026 elections — not weaponising anti-terror laws to silence dissenting voices.
EC seeks additional security as Bangladesh faces renewed unrest“Anis Alamgir’s arrest continues an alarming pattern of individuals being targeted simply for being perceived as supportive of the now-banned Awami League,” Mahamoor said. “Rather than misusing anti-terror legislation to silence people for their views and opinions, the interim government and authorities should be facilitating freedom of expression and association, especially in the lead-up to elections.”
She urged the Yunus-led administration to honour Bangladesh’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to immediately release Alamgir.
Amnesty International noted that the ATA was amended in May this year by the interim government to ban the activities of the Awami League. Since then, the law has increasingly been used against individuals alleged to support the party, including journalists such as Monjurul Alam Panna.
“The use of terror legislation to stifle freedom of expression and association is a clear violation of international law,” the rights group said, describing the trend as deeply troubling.
The organisation called on the interim government to take all necessary steps to ensure an environment that safeguards and nurtures human rights for all citizens, regardless of their perceived political affiliations, ahead of the 2026 polls.
Authorities, it added, must immediately halt the use of what it described as “draconian legislation” to erode freedoms that are fundamental to the functioning of a rights-respecting society.
With IANS inputs
