'Let Rozina be strength, let Rozina be light'
Evening has descended in the capital city, but the ever-busy Karwan Bazar remains the same.
Hundreds of people gather together here on Saturday, holding candles in their hands. They are all the journalists and the well-wishers of Prothom Alo.
This special event was organised protesting the harassment and arrest of Prothom Alo’s senior correspondent Rozina Islam and demanding her immediate release.
National governing body of Prothom Alo Bondhushava organised this candle light vigil under the banner of ‘let Rozina be strength, let Rozina be light.’
Rozina Islam was confined at the secretariat and then harassed by the officials concerned for around six hours on 17 May while performing her professional duty. At that day, she was taken to Shabagh police station and sued under Official Secrets Act.
Later on Tuesday, Police produced her before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka and sought for remand. On the other hand, Rozina’s lawyer sought her release on bail.
Turning down the remand plea, the court ordered to send her to jail. The court set Thursday for a further hearing on the bail petition. Rozina Islam's bail hearing ended at noon on Thursday but the court did not make an immediate decision on bail.
Later in the evening, the court fixed Sunday (tomorrow) for giving its decision on Rozina Islam’s bail.
The harassment and arrest of Rozina Islam ensued protests around the country as well as in international arena. Journalists and other professionals staged different protest programmes in the capital and other cities on Saturday.
Speaking at the candlelight vigil, Bondhushava’s president Mumit Al Rashid said, “Whenever we look at newspaper pages, we see the news illuminates the people of the country. Rozina Islam was one the harbingers of that light. We hope she would be release tomorrow.”
Bondhushava national committee’s secretary general Mousumi Mou said a total of 129 Bondhushavas across the country took up the candlelight vigil simultaneously.
Rozina Islam was a truth-seeker and ill effort is on to extinguish the light of truth by incarcerating her, she added.
Bondhushava Dhaka metropolitan unit’s president Nazmul H Palash said what has been done with Rozina is deplorable and those who did it are steeped in darkness. We light the candle hoping that darkness goes away.