Journalist Samsuzzaman shifted to Kashimpur jail
Prothom Alo's Savar staff correspondent, Samsuzzaman, has been transferred from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, to the Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur.
At around 10:30 Friday morning, he was taken from the Dhaka Central Jail to be taken to Gazipur.
The deputy jailer of Dhaka central Jail, Aminul Islam, confirmed this to Prothom Alo. He said, according to orders from the higher authorities, journalist Samsuzzaman was handed over to the Kashimpur jail.
Around 30 hours of his being picked up from his Savar residence, Samsuzzaman was produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court in Dhaka at 10:30 Thursday morning.
Ramna police station police appealed to the court for him to be detained in prison. Meanwhile, Samsuzzaman's lawyers appealed for bail. The hearing of the appeal began at around 2:00 in the afternoon.
Samsuzzaman was brought from lock-up and placed in the dock. At the end of the hearing, the CMM court's additional chief metropolitan magistrate Tofazzel Hossain, rejected the bail appeal and ordered him to be sent to jail. At 3:30 in the afternoon he was taken by prison van to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.
At 4:00 am in the early hours of Wednesday, persons claiming to be CID men, picked Samsuzzaman up from his house in Savar, after which there had been no trace of him. Around 1 hour 45 minutes before he was picked up, the first case was lodged against him under the Digital Security Act at the Tejgaon police station.
The case was lodged by general secretary of the Dhaka city North ward 11 Jubo League, Syed Md. Golam Kibria. But the case only came to light on Wednesday afternoon.
However, on Thursday he was sent to jail in a new case filed under the Digital Security Act at the Ramna police station. Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman has been charged in the same case under which Samsuzzaman has been sent to jail. The plaintiff in this case is a lawyer of the High Court, Abdul Malek (Mashiur Malek).
The cases were filed over a ‘graphic card’ that contained a photo that did not match with the caption shared on Facebook on 26 March. It was said in the case that the content maligns the country’s image and achievements. However, the inconsistency in the Facebook post was quickly noticed and removed and correction was made in a follow-up post.
Over the past few days, several ministers and leaders of the ruling party have been castigating Prothom Alo regarding the post. The party's affiliated organisations have been holding various programmes in this connection too.
The Editor's Council, the Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), various human rights organisations, journalists, political and civil society organisations and prominent personalities have demanded that the case against the Prothom Alo editor be withdrawn and the incarcerated journalist Samsuzzaman be freed.
Various countries and international organisations have expressed deep concern about the incident.