A New Age file photo of Shahidul Alam

A band of plainclothes policemen picked up social activist and internationally acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam from his residence in Bangladesh capital Dhaka late Sunday night, family and police confirmed.

Alam was detained hours after he had given an interview to Doha-based television channel Al Jazeera regarding on-going students movement.

‘Shahidul Alam has been brought to the office of the office of Detective Branch of Police for interrogation,’ Masudur Rahman, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said without giving any details.

Drik Picture Library Limited communication officer Amina Neyamat in a statement sent on early Monday said, ‘Internationally renowned photographer Dr Shahidul Alam, managing director, Drik, was forcibly abducted from his house in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, after 10:00pm on 5 August 2018.’

Quoting security guards of the apartment building and witnesses, Amina Neyamat said that there were about 30 to 35 plainclothes, who claimed to be from the Detective Branch, went upstairs, and brought down Shahidul Alam, who was screaming as he was forcibly pushed into the waiting minivan, a HiAce, inscribed with the words ‘Popular Life Insurance’ on its body.

She claimed that the plainclothes taped the CCTV camera, and took away the footage keeping the guards confined.

Amina also said, ‘His partner Rahnuma Ahmed, was in a neighbouring apartment, raced downstairs on hearing the scream, but the car carrying him and two other cars waiting outside, sped away.’

Founder of Drik and Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, Shahidul was detained a day after he was assaulted while capturing photos of the ongoing students’ protests and his camera was snatched and smashed in Dhanmondi area, complained his colleagues and family members.