Justice to Rozina to be ensured: Hasan

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Joint General Secretary of Awami League Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said that an information commission has been formed under the leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to ensure free flow of information in the country.

“Anyone can ask the government for any information through the commission. He or she will not get only the non-disclosed information. In this case, taking of confidential documents is wrong. The fair trial of the case filed against journalist Rozina Islam will be ensured,” Hasan said.

He said that if she wanted to get any information from the government, she had to apply to the ministry, but if it was not available in the ministry, she could apply to the information commission, reports BSS.

“Since the formation of the Information Commission in 2014, one lakh 19 thousand 631 applications have been disposed till December 2020,” he said.

The minister stated these as chief guest while addressing the Bangladesh Journalists’ Welfare Trust cheques distribution ceremony at Bangabandhu Hall of Chattogram Press Club (CPC) in the city.

Chattogram Union of Journalists (CUJ) President Mohammad Ali presided over the function while Managing Director of Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust Zafar Wazed, CPC President Ali Abbas, Vice President of BFUJ Riaz Haider Chowdhury, President of Dhaka Union of Journalists Quddus Afrad and General Secretary of CPC Chowdhury Farid, among others, addressed the function as special guests.

Asking the journalists not to look at the issue of Rozina Islam emotionally, Hasan said “Since a case has been filed, we are seeing the matter as she gets justice. Keep trust on the government.”

Terming AL government a media-friendly one, he said that the prime minister and he himself are sincere and determined to uphold the dignity and honour of journalists.

Hasan said that any minister in the country takes two oaths, one is the oath as a minister and the other is the oath to protect state secrecy. I also had to take that oath.”

“Since I have taken an oath of protecting state secrecy, I cannot say anything outside the cabinet. I can only say what I am asked to say,” the minister said.

He said that it is the responsibility of any minister or ministry to preserve secret state documents or agreements with other countries, stealing of secret documents is wrong.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is determined to protect the dignity and honor of journalists and her government will try to dispel any such matter, which can create a detachment with the journalists.

“In this case, we must ensure that Rozina Islam will get justice. I have repeatedly spoken to the Minister of Health, Home Affairs and Law. I have been assured by the home minister to ensure that her dignity is protected in the custody of the police and that she gets maximum benefits in the custody of the jail,” Hasan said.

According to the Ministry of Health, Rozina Islam took some non-discloser papers from the file. When she was challenged, she returned the papers. A case was filed against her and then handed over to the police.

Hasan said that the question here is why she was detained there for five hours? Everyone has questions about it, the health ministry said they did not detain her for five hours, handed her to the police within an hour later.

He said that the case is under investigation and the Ministry of Health has formed an inquiry committee.

“It will come out whether there is any crime in the Ministry of Health after investigation,” he added.

He said that there are many games with Bangladesh, our country is moving so far, it is far ahead of Pakistan, it has left India behind in many socio-economic indexes, that is not tolerated by many.

“That is why conspiracies are being hatched against the country and attempts are made to create issues,” he said.

Hasan said that hundreds of people were killed in Palestine and that the Amnesty International had not issued a statement on why nearly 100 children had been killed.

“There are several other organisations that have not made a statement about what is happening in Palestine. Even the UN has taken seven days to speak, but many have spoken on the issue of Rozina Islam. So, I would like to request the journalist friends to have faith on the government, in this case the government is for justice,” he said.