Dhaka, April 27 -- The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the immediate release of four senior journalists arrested in the aftermath of the July Uprising, urging the government to fulfill its manifesto commitments regarding press freedom.

The New York-based international media watchdog sent a formal letter to Law Minister Asaduzzaman on Monday, expressing hope that the BNP-led administration would move beyond the "politically motivated" legal practices seen in the past.

The four journalists in question are Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mozammel Haq Babu, and Shyamal Dutta.

In the letter, CPJ's Asia-Pacific Programme Coordinator Kunal Majumder noted that the initial months of the new administration offered "encouraging ...