Dhaka, April 27 -- The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has written to Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman, urging the new government to fulfill its election promise to withdraw 'politically motivated' cases against journalists, and to drop charges and release Mozammel Haq Babu, Shyamal Dutta, Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed.

The journalists have been detained for more than 18 months on murder charges, for which no credible evidence has been presented and no charge sheet served, CPJ said.

In the letter on Monday, CPJ noted that the journalists' arrests under the previous government appeared to be in retaliation for perceived political affiliations.

In almost 600 days, and in violation of legal regulations...