Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) expresses grave concern over the detention of Journalist Probir Sikdar under the Information and Communication Technology Act (ICT Act) by Detective & Criminal Intelligence Division of Police (DB).

It has been reported by media that after being detained from his online media office, Probir Sikdar was taken to the DB office on 16 August 2015 and susequently shifted to Faridpur at midnight. According to media reports, a case has been filed in Faridpur against Probir Sikdar under the ICT Act.

Journalist Probir  being physically ill, was in fear about his security. He didn’t get any co-operation from law enforcing agencies in this regard and mentioned this at Face Book, social networking site on 10 August 2015. During Liberation War in 1971, he lost 14 of his family members. He was active in fact-finding reporting on war crimes and wrote in a popular column titled “Tui Razakar” at Daily Janakantha on 2001. He was attacked and lost his leg because of those writings. Besides, he was also active in writing against the Local Government Minister regarding the illegal eviction as well as occupancy of houses of Hindu people.

His family Members are assuming that he has been detained based on suspicion regarding his involvement with the press conference organised by Hindu, Buddho and Christian Oikya Parishad on illegal land occupancy of Hindu inhabitants as well as reporting against the Minister. They are extremely worried about his physical security.

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) strongly condemns the way he was detained. The concerned law enforcing agency didn’t give any clear statement on this yet. We are concerned about Journalist Probir Sikdar’s security. The government has the responsibility to clarify the reason for his detention if he has been detained due to his reporting against the Minister or not.

Earlier, ASK expressed its concern several times about the misuse of the ICT Act. This incident again proved our fear. We demand the immediate release of Journalist Probir Sikdar.