Kanak Sarwar, a former reporter of Ekushey Television, was remanded for five days yesterday, a day after he was shown arrested in a sedition case filed over telecasting a "false, fabricated, and provocative" speech of BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman on January 5.

The sedition case was filed against Tarique and ETV Chairman Abdus Salam on January 8, and Kanak was held following the confessional statement of Salam.

Detectives arrested him in the capital's Shahbagh area on Tuesday.

Police sought to remand him for 10 days after producing him before a Dhaka court, Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, President of Jatiya Press Club Kamal Uddin Sabuj and General Secretary Syed Abdal Ahmed issued a joint statement expressing concern over the arrest and remand of Kanak.

"We think the government's attitude is a kind of threat to the independent media," the statement said.

The journalist leaders called for his release.

Kanak was sacked by the ETV authorities on January 15.