Artistes' rights group condemns rapper Hannan's arrest
The New York-based group, Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), has expressed strong disapproval over the detention of Hannan, the young rapper known for dropping the rap "Awaaz Utha" during the quota reform protests.
On July 25, Hannan was apprehended in the Bhuighor area of Narayanganj by officers from the Fatullah police station. After being brought before the court, he was placed on a two-day remand.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The rapper from Narayanganj gained nationwide recognition following the release of "Awaaz Utha" on July 18. He also penned the protest song, which has garnered nearly 600,000 views on YouTube within the first 13 days. As of the time this report was published, it ranks third on the list of trending videos from Bangladesh on YouTube.
Producers, musicians, actors, and many others in Dhaka have denounced Hannan's arrest. Meanwhile, the Artist at Risk Connection (ARC), an organisation dedicated to protecting artistic freedom for artistes in Asia, has spoken out about Hannan's situation and called for his immediate release.
For the past two weeks, the song "Awaaz Utha" has served as the virtual anthem of the quota reform movement, according to the ARC. In a statement, ARC senior manager for International Programs, Adam Shapiro, remarked, "Freedom of expression is relentlessly targeted in Bangladesh; Hannan's arbitrary arrest is a part of this ongoing issue."
"On behalf of the ARC, we demand Hannan's immediate release. The people of Bangladesh are enduring repression by security forces; we stand in solidarity with the common people of the country," Adam Shapiro wrote.
On July 30 The Daily Star reported that police detained Hannan and his companions while they were returning home after attending a janazah.
According to Samir Islam, also known as SnareByt, who collaborated with Hannan as a producer for "Awaaz Utha", Hannan was allegedly arrested as a suspect after police found videos of the quota reform movement on his mobile phone.
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