Bangladesh: CFWIJ condemns the unlawful arrest of journalist Rozina Islam and demands her immediate release

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May 18, 2021 - Rozina Islam, a senior correspondent Prothom Alo newspaper, was arrested after spending almost five hours in confinement at the Health Ministry Secretariat. The journalist was accused of taking pictures of confidential documents while she was in the office of Saiful Islam, personal secretary (PS) to the Secretary of Health and Services division. Rozina faces charges under the Official Secrets Act, a notorious law dating back to 1923, which prohibits access to confidential information. If the journalist is convicted, she may face up to 14 years in prison. Police officials at Shahbagh police station had a conversation with Rozina before filing a case against her. CFWIJ considers this detention unlawful and demands the journalist’s immediate release. A journalist should not be punished for reporting on matters of public interest— Rozina did no wrong, as she explained in her testimony. The fabricated charges should be dropped and the journalist released without any further delay.

According to the complaint filed by the Ministry of Health, Rozina was present in the Health Secretary’s office around 3 p.m. when Additional Secretary Kazi Jaibunnesa Begum and PS Saiful Islam surrounded her. Reportedly, the Additional Secretary found some documents after she body-searched the journalist. The complaint also states that they retrieved photos from her mobile. Later, the police were called, and Rozina was taken into custody. The journalist was charged under the Official Secrets Act for taking pictures of sensitive documents. She is being detained at the Shahbagh police station in Dhaka.

As per Rozina's statement, she was at the Health Ministry to see the Secretary of Health PS, Saiful Islam. She denied taking any photos of any documents present in the Personal Secretary's office. During her five hours of confinement, Rozina fell unconscious. While speaking to CPJ, the managing editor of Prothom Alo shared that Rozina has been reporting on the corruption and mishandling of health-related matters for the past month. He informed Rozina that the newspaper would issue a separate detailed statement addressing such concerns soon.

After the news of Rozina's detention was reported, many journalists protested the brazen harassment from the Health Ministry. Journalists belonging to different media outlets went to the Ministry of Health to inquire about Rozina's detention, but they were not provided with details or reasoning. Later, the journalists gathered outside and recorded their protest against the mistreatment of Rozina. According to them, Rozina looked visibly frail when police took her to Shahbagh police station. The president of the National Press Club, Farida Yasmin, has also condemned the harassment against Rozina and demanded a fair investigation into the matter. Amnesty International South Asia has also deemed this arrest as an attack on press freedom and demanded the immediate release of Rozina Islam.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled by the detention of Rozina Islam. Her arbitrary arrest is a blatant attack on press freedom. A journalist's role in reporting on the health crisis to the public is crucially important. We demand the charges against Rozina be dropped and the case closed. CFWIJ offers its full support to Rozina and stands with her through these trying times.