Case Against Rozina: ‘A threat to independent journalism’
Eminent citizens concerned over health ministry’s no-confidence petition
Twenty eminent citizens yesterday expressed concern over the health ministry filing a no-confidence petition on the final report in a case filed against Prothom Alo's special correspondent Rozina Islam.
The final report had stated that the allegations against Rozina could not be proven.
They called for a fair and impartial investigation into the matter with respect to the law and court.
In a statement, eminent citizens said Rozina was confined to a room of the health ministry inside the Secretariat for around six hours and tormented there while performing her professional duties on May 17, 2021, before being handed over to Shahbagh police.
Later, the ministry filed a case against Rozina under two sections of the Official Secrets Act and the Penal Code. She was released on bail after languishing for six days.
"None of the sections under which the case was filed against Rozina Islam can apply to a professional journalist. According to that law, taking any information from a secret place will be punishable. But the health ministry is not a secret place, and there is no legal bar on journalists taking information from there for professional work," read the statement.
On January 23, the court directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to further investigate the case following the complainant's no-confidence petition. This was seven months after the Detective Branch of police submitted the final report, which mentioned that the charges against Rozina have not been proved, they said in the statement.
"The health ministry... continues to harass her with a no-confidence petition even though the allegations were not proved in the police investigation. This behaviour is a threat to independent journalism," added the statement.
Prof Serajul Islam Chowdhury, Justice MA Matin, Prof Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque, Prof Anu Mohammed, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Moinul Islam, Rasheda K Choudhury, ZI Khan Panna, MM Akash and Mamunur Rashid are among the signatories of the statement.