CPJ urges procedural rights of arrested journalist couple Shakil and Rupa

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concern over the arrests of journalist couple Shakil Ahmed, former head of news at Ekattor Television, and its former principal correspondent Farzana Rupa.
“We urge authorities to respect the reporters’ procedural rights, ensure their safety, and drop any investigation brought in retaliation for their journalistic work,” it posted on X.
The journalist couple was arrested by immigration police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Wednesday while attempting to leave for France. They were subsequently handed over to the detective branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Later, a Dhaka court yesterday granted a four-day remand for them in connection with the murder of government employee Md Fazlul Karim.