Shahnewaz er stor cricketfan og har spillet siden, han var barn. Han elsker også at skrive og bruge det skrevne sprog til at fortælle om de udfordringer folket i hans region, Banshkali, står overfor.
Banshkali er et lavtliggende kystområde i det sydøstlige Bangladesh, som er sårbart over for klimaforandringerne.
Et nyt kuldrevet kraftværk i Shahnewaz’ landsby skulle være vendepunktet for regionens udvikling. Shahnewaz var dog nervøs for kraftværkets klimapåvirkning.
Den 26. maj 2021 blev området ramt af en storm. Voldsomme regnfald og stærke vinde hamrede mod landsbyen, og flere hjem blev ødelagt. Shahnewaz delte sin bekymring på Facebook. Han skrev, at stormen var forårsaget af klimaforandringerne og koblede det til Banshkali-kraftværket. Han opfordrede unge mennesker til at råbe op. Han skrev: ”Banshkalis ungdom må stå op imod uretfærdighed og støtte udviklingen ved frygtløst at skrive deres mening”.
Næste dag lagde kraftværket sag an mod Shahnewaz og anklagede ham for at lægge falske informationer op. Den 28. maj 2021 blev han anholdt af politiet på grund af hans Facebook-opdatering. Han blev tilbageholdt under umenneskelige forhold i 80 dage uden en rettergang. Shahnewaz blev løsladt mod kaution den 16. august 2021, men hvis han bliver dømt, står han over for mange år i fængsel.
Bed Bangladesh droppe alle anklager mod Shahnewaz.
A big cricket fan, Shahnewaz has been playing since childhood. He also has a passion for writing and uses the written word to speak out about the struggles faced by people in his region of Banshkhali. Banshkhali is a low-lying coastal area in the southeast of Bangladesh, vulnerable to the impact of climate change.
A new coal-fired power plant in Shahnewaz’s village was supposed to be a turning point in the region’s development. But Shahnewaz was scared about the environmental destruction it would bring.
On 26 May 2021, the area was swept up by a storm. Heavy rainfall and strong winds pounded the village. Homes were destroyed. Shahnewaz took to Facebook to raise his concerns. He suggested that the storm was caused by climate change and linked it to the Banshkhali power plant. Encouraging young people to speak out, Shahnewaz wrote “the youth of Banshkhali must resist injustice and support development through fearless writing.”
The following day, the power plant company filed a case against Shahnewaz, accusing him of posting false information. On 28 May 2021, he was arrested by the police for his Facebook post. He was detained in inhumane conditions for 80 days, without trial. Shahnewaz was granted bail on 16 August 2021, but if he’s convicted, he faces many years in prison.
Tell Bangladesh to drop the charges today