DRU to file case against Rozina’s harassment

The Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) will go for a legal action against those repressed journalist Rozina Islam, who was arrested in a case under Official Secrets Act, on Monday.

“DRU will file a case against those repressed journalist Rozina Islam unless her family does not do so,” DRU General Secretary Mosiur Rahman Khan, said this while addressing a demonstration held in front of the unity office.

The Dhaka-based largest reporters' association held the demonstration around 11:00am where a number of journalists from different print and electronic media attended to press home their demands.

Rozina Islam, a senior reporter of Prothom Alo, is accused of taking photos of some "sensitive documents" of the ministry on Covid-19 vaccine sourcing.

On Monday, she was kept detained for at least five hours at the Secretariat by several health ministry officials.

The unity will also form a committee to find out facts behind the incident and all journalists’ platforms will hold a meeting on Saturday to fix the next course of programme ensuring unconditional immediate release of Rozina, he said.

Citing that the court has fixed Sunday for passing an order on her bail petition, Mosiur Rahman Kahn said they will continue the movement until withdrawal of the case even if the bail petition is granted.

“Rozina Islam will have to be given bail and the case lodged against her will have to be withdrawn, otherwise our movement will continue,” the DRU secretary general warned.

Alongside, exemplary punishment of those involved in harassing Rozina Islam will have to be ensured, he said. “We will not return home until our demands are fulfilled,” he sounded a note of caution.

Rozina Islam’s arrest sparked widespread protest across the country and it has been continuing for the five consecutive days.

An FIR was filed against Rozina, who unearthed some health sector corruption news recently, under the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of The Penal Code.

Day after the arrest, a Dhaka court sent Rozina to jail, rejecting the five-day remand petition and set Thursday to hear her bail plea. Rozina was taken to Kashimpur Central Women's Jail.

After a long hearing from the defence and prosecution on Thursday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Baki Billah reset Sunday for the bail decision. The court said it would verify relevant documents in the meantime.

Meanwhile, the case filed against Rozina was transferred to the Detective Branch of police on Wednesday.