Detained Bangladeshi journalists Shakil Ahmed and Farzana Rupa were released on four-hour parole on Wednesday evening to attend the funeral of Rupa’s mother.
The couple was released from separate facilities at Kashimpur Central Jail Complex around 6:30 PM, confirmed Anand Kumar Shil, Deputy Jail Superintendent of the High Security Prison.
Farzana Rupa had been held at the Kashimpur Women's Prison, while her husband, Shakil Ahmed, was incarcerated at the High Security facility.
According to prison officials, the parole was granted following a formal request by the family to the Dhaka District Magistrate after the death of Rupa’s mother.
Shakil Ahmed previously served as Head of News and Farzana Rupa as Chief Reporter at Ekattor TV. Both were removed from their posts on August 8, 2024.
On August 21, they were arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Authorities later linked their detention to a murder case filed over the death of a man named Fazlul Karim during a student-led anti-discrimination protest in Uttara, Dhaka. They have remained in custody since.
