Court sets 12 Dec for hearing over Rozina's passport, press accreditation card

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on Tuesday accepted the revision appeal of Prothom Alo’s journalist Rozina Islam seeking her passport, press accreditation card and two mobile phones seized in a case filed under Penal Code and Official Secrets Act.

The court has set 12 December for hearing over the issue, additional public prosecutor Taposh Kumar Pal confirmed the development to Prothom Alo.

Earlier, on 15 September, Dhaka CMM court rejected the plea of journalist Rozina Islam seeking her press accreditation card and cell phones. Later, the journalist filed a revision appeal with Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court against the CMM court order. Based on the appeal, the court on Tuesday set the date for hearing over the matter.

Rozina’s lawyer Prashanta Karmakar said, the court has accepted the appeal for hearing.

Rozina Islam has received this year’s Free Press Award for courageous journalism. She won the award in the ‘Most Resilient Journalist’ category.

This award is given by the Amsterdam-based organisation Free Press Unlimited.

Since police in Bangladesh seized the passport of Rozina Islam, the journalist could not attend the award giving programme at the Hague.

On 17 May last year, journalist Rozina Islam was harassed while carrying out her professional duty at the health ministry. She had been confined to the ministry for about six hours. She was shown arrested under a century-old Official Secrets Act later and sent to jail.

After five days, Rozina Islam was released from jail on bail. Programmes were held home and abroad protesting torture and case against Rozina Islam. Various local and foreign organisations also issued protest.

Though Rozina Islam was released on bail, the case against her has not been withdrawn as yet. Her passport, mobile phone and accreditation card used to carry out professional duty at the secretariat have also not been returned.