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Shahidul Alam: A DW champion of free speech

May 3, 2019

Shahidul Alam, a photographer from Bangladesh, is one of DW's champions of free speech. At the Global Media Forum he will speak about the importance of press freedom in Asia and his own experiences with the authorities.

https://p.dw.com/p/3Hqth
dw freedom Shahidul Alam

"I believe every day should be World Press Freedom Day. It's rare to find governments that do not support freedom and democracy in their rhetoric but actively suppress them in their practice.

In my own country, Bangladesh, the suppression of press freedom has been used to support tyranny and autocracy while Western nations have used dictators to suppress freedom of expression.

It is time we citizens globally pressed our governments and ensured that press freedom is not merely a luxury to aspire for but part of our basic rights."

Shahidul Alam: 'Freedom is essential to civilization'