Rozina Islam an investigative journalist was abducted by Ministry of Health officials, whom she had been investigating for several weeks, before being charged with breaching an antiquated state secrets statute. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is urging Bangladesh’s government to order her immediate release.
Rozina Islam, a reporter for Prothom Alo, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper was detained at Shahbagh police station in Dhaka on Monday evening, May 17.
The reporter is accused by the Bangladesh Ministry of Health of “stealing sensitive information” and “photographing confidential data,” according to the indictment, which RSF was able to obtain a copy of.
Rozina Islam, according to officials, violated Articles 3 and 5 of the Law on State Secrets, a British colonial era act that punishes treason with the death penalty. She is also facing charges of ransom threats and concealment of stolen documents, which are punishable by up to fourteen years in prison under articles 379 and 411 of the Bangladesh penal code.
According to RSF, the journalist went to the Ministry of Health’s headquarters on Monday around 3 p.m. to obtain an official’s testimony. However, she was quickly locked in a room by a police officer and ministry staff, who confiscated her bag and phone, giving them plenty of time to fabricate evidence.
The reporter was kept in the office of a man named Saiful Islam Bhuiyan, who works for the secretary of health services, Lokman Hossain Miah, for at least five hours.
She was finally taken to the police station around 8 p.m., and at 11:45 p.m., she was formally charged.A virtual court in Dhaka on Thursday set Sunday for passing an order on the bail petition.
Rozina Islam was harassed and handed over to police by Ministry of Health employees, according to Sajjad Sharif, the editor of Prothom Alo, in retaliation for investigations it reported recently on serious cases of corruption and poor management inside the health administration in relation to the coronavirus crisis.
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