BANGLADESH’S JOURNALIST FRATERNITY ON BOIL OVER ROZINA ISLAM’S DETENTION

Journalist organisations, rights groups, and political parties across Bangladesh are protesting against the detention of an investigative journalist named Rozina Islam.

The court did not grant bail to the journalist, who is now in jail. Journalists across the country, including Dhaka, are holding processions and rallies every day demanding the immediate release of the journalist. Rozina Islam, a senior reporter of Bangla daily Prothom Alo, the largest daily newspaper based on circulation, was detained on Monday for allegedly clicking a picture of a document with her cell phone without permission.

Journalists’ organisations have said they will continue the movement until Rozina Islam is released and the perpetrators are punished. Islam is an investigative journalist who reports on health issues.

On 17 May, Rozina went to the Ministry of Health to collect a report. Jebun Nesa, a female officer of the Ministry of Health, and some policemen detained her for five hours. She was later handed over to the Shahbagh Police Station. A case was filed against Rozina under the Official Secrecy Act 1923.

When she was taken to court on 16 May, the judge sent him to jail without bail. A bail hearing was held on 19 May, but no bail was granted. Islam has been charged with stealing confidential documents from the ministry.

In this regard, Health minister Zahid Malek said that Rozina had stolen some very confidential documents of the ministry, which if disclosed could cause harm to the state. The documents were related to the covid-19 medicine agreement with Russia.

Bangladeshi journalists have claimed that detaining journalist Rozina Islam and filing a case against her under a British-era law is against independent journalism. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, Dhaka Union of Journalists, National Press Club, and Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, the largest organization of journalists in Bangladesh, have been agitating for Rozina’s release. Senior journalist leaders Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Molla Jalal, President of the National Press Club Farida Yasmin, journalist leader Quddus Afrad, Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu and Layekuzzaman addressed the rally held at the premises of the National Press Club on 20 May.

Journalist leaders claim that Rozina Islam’s disrespectful treatment and filing of lawsuits against her is an act of violating the rights of the journalist fraternity, as freedom of expression is being utterly curtailed.

On the other hand, a video of Rozina has been released by the Ministry of Health, in which it is seen that Rozina has confessed her guilt. However, the journalists are reluctant to accept it.

A high official of the Bangladesh government told the reporter that Rozina Islam was involved in a major conspiracy against the government. Some of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies do not want a government-to-government deal to import covid medicine. Pharmaceutical companies want to import themselves by contracting with foreign pharmaceutical companies. If the government imports medicines, it is for the people to benefit, while if the non-government organizations import, the people suffer. The newspaper Islam works for is owned by Transcom Group.

The pharmaceutical company they own is SKF. Sources say Rozina stole health ministry documents for SKF. Besides, Rozina’s husband is a big contractor in the Ministry of Health. She has also allegedly influenced the Ministry of Health to get her husband a contract.

Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud said Rozina would get justice, but it would not be right for journalists to be emotional about it. Journalists have also demanded the formation of an independent committee to investigate Rozina Islam’s case.

However, two sections have emerged among the journalists, one demanding the release of Rozina and the trial of the culprits in the Ministry of Health, while the other section is trying to use journalists to push for a change in the government. Social media, as well as the journalist community, has become vocal about the arrest of journalist Rozina Islam. In this incident, the image of the government at home and abroad has been tarnished. Moreover, many also think that Rozina’s incident is a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the most journalist-friendly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh.