A PHOTOJOURNALIST with a long-standing connection to the University of Sunderland has been bailed after spending more than three months in a Bangladeshi jail.

Shahidul Alam had been in police custody since his arrest on August 5, which followed an interview with Al Jazeera in which he spoke about the government in the wake of student protests in Dhaka.​

Since his imprisonment students and academics at Sunderland– where he has been a visiting professor for many years– have called for his release. ​

Last month, more than 80 staff, students and campaigners unveiled an exhibition of his work at the university’s Priestman Gallery and staged one of a number of protests held at across the country.

 

Yesterday, a High Court in Bangladesh granted bail to the 63-year-old activist.

Arabella Plouviez, Professor of photography and Dean of the faculty of arts and creative industries at the university, said: “We are really hopeful that this means that Shahidul will be released immediately. It has been a terrible time for him but the level of support internationally has been fantastic. Here at Sunderland, our students have been very involved in supporting the call for Shahidul’s release and we all hope that the grant-ing of bail will see him ultimately freed.”