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Urgent Action Required: Crossfire exhibit regarding extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh, provokes death threats

30 March 2010

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Press Release

For Immediate Release

29th March 2010

Photographer of “Crossfire†exhibition threatened with ‘crossfire’.

A general diary (GD) was filed today by photographer Dr. Shahidul Alam at Dhanmondi Police Station, to register death threats placed upon the photographer.

Following the closure of the exhibition “Crossfire†depicting allegorical images depicting the extra judicial killings by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) that have been going on since 2004, an unknown youth came to Drik premises in the morning of the 27th March 2010 and wanted to know who this Shahidul Alam was. Whether he had a wife and family. Whether he had children. “Is he not scared for his life? Does he not have any fear at all?†the young man asked the guard. He refused to give his name, but told the guard to tell Alam that “He will meet his death in the streets, by bullets. Don’t forget to tell him.†When asked again for his name he said, “Tell him I’m a member of the public.â€

The following day the man returned in the afternoon along with another young man, and in the presence of a large number of people, including police, said “It is the person who organised this exhibition who should be crossfired.â€

The GD was filed with S.I. Anwarul Islam. GD NO: 1542/29TH March 2010. Earlier in the day, Drik Picture Library Ltd. Filed a write petition (No: 2543/29th March 2010) against the government demanding that the blockade of the exhibition “Crossfire†be removed.

Contact:

A S M Rezaur Rahman

General Manager

Drik Picture Library Ltd.

reza@drik.net, +8801819226294