Blogger Tasneem Khaleel Picked up by the Army

(Read: Why they arrested Tasnim)

Update 1: Read CNN's Coverage

Update 2: Int. Herald Tribune

Update 3: Free Tasneem-Reaction from Bloggers

As a blogger, I'm concerned about Bangladesh Army's action to arrest Tasneem Khaleel. Please read this breaking news from Salam Dhaka, "Army has picked up a freind, blogger, and human rights activist Tasneem Khalil. We're not going to let this go unanswered. Tasneem's blog is http://www.tasneemkhalil.com/Tasneem is CNN and Human Rights Watch representative in Dhaka. He also works for Daily Star.The U.S State department, CNN, HRW are being contacted through the highest levels".

Bangla Bloggers have already started their protest against this action. Rezwan has just published this breaking news in Bangla Blog. Third World View is maintaing updates on Tasneem Khalil. Another blogger Sushanta is keeping updated posts on Tasneem. Human Rights Watch has already issued a press release to protest Tasneem's arrest and demanded his immediate release.

Please join me along with thousands of bloggers to condemn this cowardly action by the Military.

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Read how Tasnim was arrested:
(London, May 11, 2007) – Bangladesh's military-backed care-taker government should immediately release Tasneem Khalil, an investigative journalist and part-time Human Rights Watch consultant, who was detained by security forces late last night, Human Rights Watch said today.

Khalil, 26, is a journalist for the Dhaka-based *Daily Star* newspaper who conducts research for Human Rights Watch. According to his wife, four men in plainclothes who identified themselves as from the "joint task force"came to the door after midnight on May 11 in Dhaka, demanding to take Khalil away. They said they were placing Khalil "under arrest" and taking him to the Sangsad Bhavan army camp, outside the parliament building in Dhaka.

"We are extremely concerned about Tasneem Khalil's safety," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "He has been a prominent voice in Bangladesh for human rights and the rule of law, and has been threatened because of that."

The men did not offer a warrant or any charges, Khalil's wife said. Using threatening language, they searched the house and confiscated Khalil's passport, two computers, documents, and two mobile phones. "It is an emergency; we can arrest anyone," one of the men said. Another asked if Khalil suffered from any particular physical ailments. They drove Khalil off in a Pajero jeep.

Khalil is a noted investigative journalist who has published several controversial exposes of official corruption and abuse, particularly by security forces. He assisted Human Rights Watch in research for a 2006 report about torture and extrajudicial killings by Bangladesh security forces.