Bangladeshi photographer Shahidul Alam gets bail after 100 days behind bars for ‘provocative’ statements
- It is unclear if the 63-year-old will be immediately freed as prosecutors could urgently appeal the decision in a higher court
Award-winning Bangladeshi photographer and activist Shahidul Alam was granted bail on Thursday after spending more than 100 days behind bars in a closely watched freedom of speech case.
However it was not clear if the 63-year-old would be immediately freed, his lawyers said, as bail orders take time to execute and prosecutors could urgently appeal the decision in a higher court.
“We hope his ordeal ends here,” said Alam’s lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua.
The photographer had unsuccessfully applied for bail four times since being arrested in August for making what Bangladesh authorities called “false” and “provocative” statements.
Alam, whose work has appeared widely in global media and who founded the renowned Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, faces a maximum of 14 years in jail if convicted.