The High Court has ordered the government to initiate measures whether photographer Shahidul Alam was physically or mentally tortured in police custody.
The bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir gave the order on Thursday after hearing a petition filed by Alam’s wife Rahnuma Ahmed challenging his seven-day remand.
The medical tests have to be conducted in line with Section 2 (6) of the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act 2013, said the court.
It also told the home secretary to submit a report on it before the lower court by Monday.
Alam, the founder of Drik photography agency, has been charged by police with attempting to spread ‘fear and panic’ over the internet with ‘provocative lies’.
He is being prosecuted under the ICT Act’s controversial Section 57, which has been criticised for effectively muzzling freedom of speech.
The 63-year-old was picked up from his Dhanmondi home around 10:30pm on Sunday.
He streamed videos on Facebook Live discussing the clashes amid student protests for road safety on Saturday and Sunday.
The detention came hours after he criticised the government in an interview with Al Jazeera.
He was produced before a court on Monday when the investigators were granted seven days to interrogate him in custody.
On Tuesday, his wife Rehnuma Ahmed moved the High Court against the remand.