It’s an attempt to break the spine of investigative journalism

The harassment and physical and mental torture of journalist Rozina Islam, keeping her confined at the secretariat for almost six hours and then filing a lawsuit against her and showing her arrested in a lawsuit, is an attempt to break the spine of investigative journalism and journalism as a profession. This was the undercurrent perception at discussions, protest rallies and human chains formed by journalists and other professional bodies.

The journalist leaders said through torture and harassing Rozina Islam by filing the lawsuit, bureaucrats have been trying to convey the message that they are the most powerful people in the country. And some politicians have been taking side of the corrupt officials. This is not something good for the government.

Different programmes were organised in Dhaka on Thursday condemning the arrest of Prothom Alo’s senior reporter Rozina Islam in the case filed under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act and demanding her unconditional release. At the programmes, a call was made for journalists to continue the protest movement unitedly for the sake of journalism.

Alongside the journalists, professional bodies from within the country and abroad gave statements condemning strongly the behaviour meted out to Rozina Islam. Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday said the Bangladesh authorities should produce evidence of wrongdoing or immediately release Rozina Islam and stop arresting journalists from doing their job, which is also to highlight governance flaws. Instead of locking up critics, encouraging a free press should be central to the government’s strategy to strengthen health services in combatting the pandemic, the global rights body added in a statement.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information, in a statement urged the Bangladesh government restore its credibility by ordering her immediate release.

Earlier, the United Nations, Amnesty International and various other global bodies expressed their concern in the arrest of journalist Rozina Islam and called for her immediate release.

Rozina Islam, who published a number of investigative reports unveiling corruption involving billions of taka amid the Covid-19 pandemic, went to the health ministry on 17 May to carry out her profession duties. She was kept there confined for over five hours and harassed by the officials. At one point she fell ill but she was not provided with any medical treatment. At around 8:30 pm, police took her to the Shahbagh police station and was kept at police custody for 11 hours. The case was filed against her by health ministry’s health services division deputy secretary Md Shibbir Ahmed Osmani on that night.Rozina was produced before the court the next morning and was kept in lock-up for almost three hours. It took almost 23 hours from her harassment and hearing at the court to send her to Kashimpur jail in Gazipur. Her bail hearing was held on Thursday. The court fixed Sunday to pass the order.

At a protest rally organised by Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) on the premises of National Press Club, Dhaka, journalist leaders demanded unconditional release of Rozina.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s former information adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, at the programme, said at this moment Rozina Islam is the symbol of freedom of expression, unrestricted flow of information and dissemination of truth. She is also the symbol of objective journalism and free media. The information Rozina went to collect is not of the health ministry, rather it is of the people. The allegation brought against her is contradictory to the Right to Information (RTI).

Senior journalist Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul said a good journalist not only makes well-wishers, but makes enemies too. Rozina has made such enemies at the health ministry. These people take millions of taka as bribes and siphon it off abroad. They are against Rozina.

Journalism in Bangladesh is passing through a critical time, said Molla Jalal, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ).

National Press Club president Farida Yasmin said, “They (the health ministry) could’ve taken immediate measures even if she committed an offence, as they claim. They could have called the journalist leaders, could have told the press council. They could have resolved the matter. Instead of that, why did they harass and torture her for six hours?”

Farida Yasmin also demanded trial of the officials involved with the incident of torture.

DUJ president Kuddus Afrad presided over the protest programme. He said there is no relation between the allegation brought against Rozina and what has been written in the case statement.

DUJ general secretary Sazzad Alam Khan said the journalists have been facing oppression while collecting information. This is an ominous sign. We must be vocal against these oppressions.

Members of Bangladesh Women Journalists Association, Bangladesh Online Journalists Parishad, Bangladesh Journalists Forum, Bangladesh Inter-religious Writers and Journalists Association, Dhaka Journalist Association, Television Camera Journalist Association, Bangladesh Journalists Alliance, Dhaka Division Journalists Forum, Bangladesh Mofassil Journalists Forum, Lalmonirhat Journalists Forum, Shariatpur Journalists Association and other organisations took part in the rally.

Besides, Dhaka Metro Jatiya Party, Left-leaning Democratic Alliance, National Women's Alliance, National Labourer's Alliance, National Youth Alliance also staged demonstration in front of the National Press Club on Thursday demanding release of Rozina Islam and withdrawal of the case against her.

From the rallies, the speakers also demanded trial of the corrupt officials of health ministry and annulment of Digital Security Act.

Dhaka Reporters Unity, from a protest rally at Segunbagicha, Dhaka, called for the formation of an alliance and to continue the movement instead of demonstrating seperately. The DRU leaders said the journalist leaders will hold a meeting on Saturday and discuss a unified movement. They said the movement will not stop until the release of Rozina.

DRU president Morsalin Nomani said they would hold a protest rally with black cloths covering their mouths, on DRU premises on Friday.

National Press Club joint general secretary Mainul Alam was apprehensive about whether Rozina would get justice.

President of a faction of DUJ, Kuddus Afrad said health secretary will have to be sued first if files with state secret are left on a table carelessly.

General secretary of another faction of DUJ, Shahidul Islam said there’s no precedence of a movement of journalists in Bangladesh like this.

Health Reporters Association president Toufiq Maruf remarked the health ministry has turned into a house of corruption. He said we need to collect information trying hard. The health secretary and all other people involved with the abuse of Rozina Islam have to be removed. The health minister also has to be held accountable.

The rally began at noon and continued until 4:30 pm. The journalist leaders said certain people are trying to break the spine of investigative journalism.

Reporters Against Corruption general secretary Ahmed Foyez said the government has enacted the Digital Security Act consciously and used the Official Secrets Act.

DRU general secretary Mashiur Rahman Khan, former president Rafiqul Islam, former general secretary Kabir Ahmed Khan and Riaz Chowdhury, DCAB president Pantha Rahman, photojournalist, who was tortured in jail, Shafiqul Islam Kajal also addressed the programme.

DRU has announced deputy minister of education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury persona non grata for publishing a video clip of the harassment of Rozina Islam with a derogatory status on his Facebook wall. The journalists’ body said the deputy minister could not enter DRU premises during the tenure of the current committee. DRU general secretary Mashiur Rahman Khan made the announcement.

Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers' Association, in a statement on Thursday, said it should be investigated whether the information of corruption of any individual is being passed off as state secret. In a separate statement, Jahangirnagar University Teachers Association also condemned the harassment of Rozina.

Forum for Freedom of Expression, Bangladesh (FXB/Muktoprakash) issued a statement demanding unconditional release Rozina and withdrawal of the case against her. Pen International Bangladesh secretary general Syeda Irin Zaman, South Asia regional director of Article 19 Farukh Foysal and other signed the statement.

Bangladesh Youth Columnists’ Forum also organised a virtual human chain programme protesting at the incident. National Press Club general secretary Ilias Khan protested at the harassment of Rozina breaking his pen on his birthday.

Besides, Bangladesh Health Watch, Bangladesh Gram Theatre, Bangladesh UNESCO Club Association, Human Rights Support Society, Bangladesh National Womens’ Lawyers Assocation, Islami ANdolan and various other bodies also protested at the harassment and filing of the case against journalist Rozina.

In a statement, Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh former president Nasrin Fatema Awal said this incident will work as a hindrance when women are moving ahead in every sector of administration and journalism and other sectors.

Prachyanat protested at the harassment of Rozina and demanded her immediate release through street plays and a parade. Prachyanat members began the parade from the secretariat area with a banner “Free Rozina”. The programme was ended with a street a play at Shahbagh intersection.

Prachyanat chief secretary Kazi Toufiqul Islam said they staged the demonstration protesting at the harassment of journalist Rozina Islam.