Bangladesh arrests lady investigative journalist below colonial-era official secrecy legislation

A senior Bangladeshi lady journalist, identified for her investigative reporting, was arrested on costs of violating a colonial-era official secrecy legislation, the police stated on Tuesday, triggering protests by the rights teams and her colleagues.
Rozina Islam, a senior reporter of Bangla each day Prothom Alo, the most important each day newspaper based mostly on circulation, was on Monday detained for over 5 hours by the Health Ministry officers for allegedly clicking an image of a doc together with her mobile phone with out permission. She was later arrested by the police.
The ministry filed a case towards her at round midnight below the 1923 Official Secrets Act whereas she spent her night time below the police custody, the police stated.
A case has been filed towards Rozina Islam below the 1923 Official Secrets Act.
She was produced earlier than a court docket right here with a petition in search of her to be remanded in custody for 5 days, which the choose rejected and despatched her to jail to await the routine authorized procedures.
The choose stated he would entertain the prosecution cost and the defence statements together with her bail petition on Thursday.
A prosecution lawyer instructed reporters that “whether the allegation is true or false, a case has been filed” which wanted a process to be disposed of.
Rozina, who earned the popularity of being an investigative journalist, has in current months printed a number of reviews exposing the well being ministry’s alleged malpractices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing public consideration.

She additionally printed a number of reviews involving the well being sector which included alleged graft in procurement on the well being ministry, corruption in medical doctors’ recruitment and the way pressing medical gear for coronavirus therapy had been left at Dhaka airport for months.
“The incident is unfortunate,” Health Minister Zahid Maleque instructed TV channels with out elaborating additional, at the same time as reporters boycotted a routine well being ministry press convention protesting her arrest.
He additionally rejected allegations that Rozina’s reviews on the well being sector earned her the wraths of well being ministry officers, saying the actions weren’t led by any “vengeance”.
Health Ministry’s Public Relations Officer Maidul Islam Prodhan claimed that Rozina was additionally taking away some paperwork when the senior ministry officers challenged her and later known as the girl police.
The Prothom Alo newspaper stated that she had gone to the ministry for her skilled duties, alleging that she was detained below duress for an extended 5 hours and was bodily and mentally harassed.
Bangladeshi journalist teams and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) demanded her launch and expressed considerations in regards to the case filed below a draconian colonial-era legislation that carries ridiculously harsh penalties.
“Bangladesh police and authorities should recognise that Rozina Islam is a journalist whose work is a public service and should immediately drop the case against her and allow her to go free,” the CPJ stated in a press release.
Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) in a press release warned robust actions until steps had been taken for Rozina’s unconditional launch. It expressed remorse that she was accused below a “black law” for her reporting when the federal government declared a “zero tolerance” coverage towards corruption.
“The journalists are nobody’s enemy…Don’t push them away, which eventually will benefit the looters,” the assertion stated.
It additionally known as for a protest on Wednesday within the capital over the problem as journalists at completely different Bangladesh cities staged avenue demonstrations.
Bangladesh’s National Press Club president Farisa Yasmin and basic secretary Elias Khan met Home Minister Asaduzzamman Khan Kamal and demanded a correct investigation into the problem and correct services for the arrested journalist in jail.