journalist
Journalist held under DSA in Bogura
Bogura district correspondent of the daily Banijya Pratidin, Aktaruzzaman has been sent to jail under Digital Security Act (DSA).
Bogura Detective Branch police (DB) arrested him from his home at around 3 am on Sunday.
He was arrested and sent to jail for allegedly posting a status on Facebook about Bogura Sadar Family Planning Officer Dr. Samir Hossain Mishu.
Also read: 3 journos sued under DSA in Thakurgaon, one held
Rafiqul Islam, the father of the journalist said, “At 3 am, 12 DB policemen and Dr. Samir Hossain Mishu came to my house and took away my son. They did not say what the allegations were.” "I made many requests but they did not release my son," he added.
Sadar Police Station OC Mohammad Selim Reza said Shamima Akhter, a clerk at the Sadar Upazila Family Planning Office, filed a case against the journalist under DSA.
Also read: Khulna journalist sent to jail in DSA case
Akhtaruzzaman was sent to jail through the court on Sunday afternoon, he said.
Bogura Union of Journalists president Mirza Selim Reza and general secretary Ganesh Das, issued a statement strongly condemning and protesting the arrest of journalist Akhtaruzzaman and demanding his immediate release.
Veteran journo Shahbuddin departs
Veteran journalist Shahabuddin Ahmed died due to age-related complications at a private hospital in the capital early on Saturday. He was 82.
Shahbuddin, a former president of Khulna Press Club, breathed his last around 3am at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, sources at the Club told UNB.
READ: Kabori: The doyen of Bangladeshi cinema departs
He will be buried after a namaz-e-janaza at Boro Jam-e-Mosque in the Bashundhara residential area of the capital.
Born on January 1, 1939, Shahabuddin began his career as a journalist with a local newspaper in 1965.
In an illustrious career spanning seven decades, he worked at many leading news organisations, including Weekly Holiday, Bangladesh Times, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Financial Express and The Daily Independent. He retired in 2009.
Shahabuddin was elected the president of Khulna Press Club four times (1985-68, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1999-2000).
READ: Journalist Hilali Wadud departs
President of Khulna Press Club, SM Zahid Hossain, and its general secretary Hasan Ahmed Mollah have expressed grief at the demise of the journalist.
Khulna journalist sent to jail in DSA case
A Khulna court on Thursday sent journalist MA Sabur Rana to jail, after rejecting his bail plea in a case under Digital Security Act.
Khulna Metropolitan magistrate court-1 judge Shahidul Islam passed the order.
Journalist Sabur Rana is Rampal correspondent of a Jashore based daily “Dainik lokshamaj’ and also president of Rampal press club.
Also read: Ex-Satkhira Bar Association President arrested in DSA case
According to court sources, on April 18 a Facebook status was published from NTV’s Khulna correspondent Abu Tayeb’s Facebook ID against Khulna City Corporation Mayor.
Mayor Abu Talukdar Abdul Khaleque later filed a case against two journalists in Khulna police station claiming the Facebook post has socially disgraced him.
The same night police arrested journalist Abu Tayeb. After spending 21 days in jail he was freed.
Also read: DSA case: Workers’ leader Ruhul Amin gets bail
Today Sabur Rana the other accused of the case appeared before court praying bail which was denied.
Lawyer Belal Hossain, on behalf of the accused, said the bail plea will be submitted to the higher court now.
Journalist Muzakkir murder: 2 accused denied bail
The High Court on Monday denied bail to Awami League leaders Iqbal Bahar and Sirajul Haque (alias Abul Kashem) in a case filed over the murder of journalist Borhan Uddin Muzakkir amid political infighting in Noakhali's Companiganj.
The bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order, considering that the petition was not submitted properly before it.
Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah represented the state while Advocate Shahinur Begum stood for the accused.
Also read:AL factional clash in Companiganj again , 6 shot
On February 19, clashes and gunfight took place between the supporters of Basurhat Municipality Mayor Abdul Quader Mirza and former Companiganj upazila chairman Mizanur Rahman Badal over establishing supremacy.
Both groups used firearms in the clash and the law enforcers fired several rounds of tear gas and shotguns to control the situation.
Muzakkir, a Noakhali district correspondent of online news portal Barta Bazar and also Companiganj correspondent for The Daily Bangladesh Samachar, suffered bullet wounds and fell on the ground when he was taking pictures and filming the intra-party clash.
Also read: Noakhali clash: Quader Mirza's rival AL leader Mizanur arrested
The critically injured journalist was rushed to Noakhali General Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to injuries on February 20.
On February 23, Muzakkir's father Nurul Huda Master filed a case with Companyganj Police Station accusing unnamed people. Later the case was transferred to the Police Bureau of Investigation.
Musapur Union Swechchhasebak League President Iqbal Bahar and local Awami League activist Sirajul Haque were shown arrested in the case.
Rozina Islam: Journalism Vs the Colonial hangover of official secrecy
Rozina Islam, a senior journalist at Bangladesh's most influential newspaper who was known for unearthing graft in the health sector, was probably feeling a sense of relief when she was entering the Secretariat on May 17 to get her second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
If only she knew that she would be the victim of another epidemic right at the heart of Bangladesh Civil Service, an epidemic caused by a virus which muzzles the freedom of the press through archaic and vague laws.
Rozina Islam was held at the Secretariat for five hours before being handed over to the police.
A case was filed against her by an official of the Health Ministry under the Official Secrets Act of 1923.
The British Era law, a sleeping monster which was never used against journalists in independent Bangladesh, was revived suddenly against the 42-year old journalist.
She is currently spending her days in Kashimpur Women’s Central Jail as a Dhaka court on Thursday fixed Sunday for passing an order on the bail petition filed by her lawyers.
Read Don’t judge Rozina issue emotionally: Info Minister to journalists
Colonial Inheritance of OSA
The Indian Official Secrets Act, 1904 was enacted during the time of Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905.
It was an amended and more stringent version of The Indian Official Secrets Act (Act XIV) of 1889, brought in at a time when a large number of powerful newspapers had emerged in several languages across India, and the Swadeshi movement was just starting to emerge.One of the main purposes of the Act was to muzzle the voices of nationalist publications.
In April 1923, a newer version of the Official Secrets Act was notified. The Indian Official Secrets Act (Act No XIX of 1923) replaced the earlier Act and was extended to all matters of secrecy and confidentiality in governance in the country.
The Official Secrets Act that Bangladesh inherited upon its own independence is the exact replica of the 1923 - curiously no government has ever felt the need to amend it in order to be more time-befitting
The maximum punishment for an offence under OSA ranges from 14 years in prison all the way to death penalty.
Read ‘Independent media’ spreading lies against govt: Quader
What OSA deals with
The law broadly deals with two aspects — spying or espionage, which is dealt with in Section 3 of the Act, and disclosure of other secret information of the government, which is dealt with in Section 5. The secret information can be any official code, password, sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information, derived from a prohibited place.
OSA and journalism in Bangladesh
UNB talked to Mahmudul Haque, Lecturer of Mass Communication and Journalism at Begum Rokeya University and a former senior journalist himself, about the buzz surrounding OSA and the arrest of Rozina Islam.
He takes the course, ‘Safety and Security of Journalists’, which is only available in a few universities of the country.
Mahmudul said that this colonial era law has been put to work for the first time in Bangladesh as a new tool to muzzle the freedom of press in Bangladesh alongside DSA.
He said that the incident delivered a message to the investigative journalists of the country in order to make them feel hesitant and fear being persecuted for their reports exposing corruption of the bureaucrats.
“Like most of the laws enacted to curb the freedom of journalists in the country, this law is so vague that it doesn't define secrets,” he said.
He feared that the use of OSA will deteriorate the status quo at a time where the culture of secrecy and self censorship among the journalists are already high.
Read It's very regrettable; nothing to hide: FM about Rozina issue
Faulty case
Mahmudul said that any information derived from a ‘prohibited’ place for the purpose of spying will be considered as an offence under OSA.
“The secretariat or the health ministry is not a prohibited place. Government itself provides ID’s to the journalists so that they can enter there to collect news,” he said.
Besides, when this law was enacted more than a hundred years ago, the political and social context were very different than the current time, he continued.
“It is highly unlikely that Rozina was collecting confidential state secrets as a foreign agent in an attempt to pass it over to enemies,” Mahmudul exclaimed.
When asked about the health minister’s statement where he said Rozina took snapshots of "secret documents related to purchasing vaccines," Mahmudul said purchasing vaccines can never be a secret matter related to national security.
“According to international laws, the people deserve to know about any bilateral treaty related to public health," he said.
Apart from OSA, she was also charged under sections 379 and 411 of the penal code.
"See, sections 379 and 411 deal with mere stealing and theft. This cannot coexist with OSA. So the entire process under which the FIR against her has been filed is faulty and I believe she will easily secure bail tomorrow."
Read Watchdog: Media freedom has deteriorated during pandemic
Can journalists be exempted from OSA
There is a popular school of thought circulating in social media that OSA is only for government officials or defence personnels and journalists cannot be taken to trial under this act.
When asked about this, Mahmudul said, "Unfortunately this is not the case."
He cited section 3A (1) of the OSA which stated, "No person shall, except under the authority of a written permit granted by or on behalf of the Government, make any photograph, sketch, plan, model, note or representation of any kind of any prohibited place or of any other place or area, notified by the Government as a place or area with regard to which such restriction appears to [the Government] to be expedient in the interests of the security of Bangladesh or of any part of or object in any such place or area"
So anybody, including journalists can be taken to court under OSA as the law explicitly mentions 'no persons'.
Contradicts with RTI
Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act) of Bangladesh has been promulgated recognising people's right to information as an inseparable part of the freedom of thought and conscience, and of speech.
Although it was initially appreciated as a significant step towards ensuring public participation and transparency at the time of its enactment, the effectiveness of the RTI Act has been questioned over the subsequent decade.
"The mere presence of OSA undermines the spirit of RTI and Article 39 of the constitution, which recognises freedoms of thought, conscience and speech as fundamental rights, " Mahmudul said.
"Besides, the Public Interest Information Disclosure (Provide Protection) Act, 2011 (The Whistleblowers Act) provides protection and safeguards to whistleblowers if the information is true and related to public interest," he added.
Laws like RTI and Public Interest Information Disclosure ACT will never be implemented properly as long as it coexists with laws like OSA and DSA, added Mahmudul.
Read Future of journalism depends on adaptation, professionalism: Dr Arefin
Example in Neighbouring country
"Although OSA has never been used against any journalists in independent Bangladesh, there are a few instances of it in our neighbouring country India," said Mahmudul Haque.
He said that Saikia, a journalist of the Financial Express of India was arrested in February 2015 in a similar case to Rozina where the police accused him of writing stories and analyses from documents allegedly stolen from the government. He was released on bail in May after spending 80 days in jail.
Additional sessions judge Inder Jeet Singh who had discharged Saikia relied on a 1996 Supreme Court verdict in the case of Sama Alana Abdulla versus the State of Gujarat, Singh said that the test of whether a certain disclosure compromised a secret depended on whether an "official code'' or "password'' had been divulged in terms of Section 5 of the Act, The Times of India had reported during the time.
The report stated that the court's liberal interpretation lessened the scope for misuse of the OSA by official machinery as it made a sharp distinction between a secret document or report dealing with day-to-day routine affairs and one containing information on the sensitive issue of national security.
A Delhi court in 2009 greatly reduced the power of OSA in a case filed against the same journalist over disclosing cabinet notes by passing a verdict that a document merely labelled "secret" shall not render the journalist liable under the law.
Read World Press Freedom Index and Retrogressive Bangladesh
All Colonial Era law should be scrapped
All the colonial era laws, not only the ones related to journalism, should be scrapped as they are against the spirit of our freedom, said Mahmudul Haque.
While most of the laws adopted in the three successor states of the British Raj do date from the colonial era, some draw particular ire for their history of having been used by the colonisers specifically to suppress dissent among the colonised.
One such example is the Contempt of Court Act, dating from 1926. It may be noted that in India and Pakistan, the Act was subsequently amended to fit in better with the changed context of the independent states. However Bangladesh still sticks with the 1926 text.
The offence of sedition, included in the Penal Code of 1860, still gets a lot of traction in all three successor states of the British Empire in the Indian Subcontinent, despite no longer being in the books in England itself since 2009.
The 1861 Police Act is also felt among activists to be more suited to maintaining control over a colonised population, as opposed to a civilian security force that is there to serve citizens in a democratic society.
Some of the most widely used colonial era laws that are deemed to curb freedoms include contempt of court
Mahmudul also said that Rozina and her family can file a case for wrongful confinement under the Penal Code against the concerned government officials if they believed she was being held at the secretariat against her will.
Besides,they can also bring charges against concerned officials under the Penal Code, or the Women and Children Anti-Repression Act 2000, if she was physically tortured or harassed while being held, he said.
Read Search is on for new leaders in journalism's upper echelons
Veteran journalist Farid Hossain joins UNB as Advisory Editor
Farid Hossain, the immediate past Minister (Press) at Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and former Dhaka Bureau chief of Associated Press (AP), has joined the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) as its Advisory Editor.
“We’re very pleased to have Mr Farid Hossain on board as he brings with him four and a half decades of experience in journalism. His wealth of experience perfectly positions him to help UNB improve its editorial standards,” said Enayetullah Khan, the Editor-in-Chief of UNB.
Enayetullah Khan adds: “Farid Hossain’s expertise, also as a new media veteran, will allow UNB to drive forward its digital mission as the sphere of journalism has gone through radical changes.”
Read: Afsan Chowdhury joins UNB, Dhaka Courier as Editor-at-Large
One of the founding members of UNB and former Vice President of the Jatiya Press Club, Farid Hossain spent much of his career working for international media, including Time magazine and The Telegraph, Kolkata.
A freedom fighter, Farid Hossain also served as President of Overseas Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (OCAB) and President of Commonwealth Journalists Association, Bangladesh.
UNB and Dhaka Courier have recently welcomed on board veteran journalist Afsan Chowdhury, a Bangla Academy Award winner and a Liberation War historian, as Editor-at-Large.
Read UNB redefining its digital content with AP videos
Having a nationwide network of over 100 correspondents and international correspondents in New York, New Delhi, Beijing, Cairo, Los Angeles, London, Brussels, Tokyo and Singapore, UNB serves over 20 million viewers, listeners and readers.
Currently, UNB has News Exchange Agreements with over 40 countries in the world, including PTI of India, Xinhua of China, Kyodo of Japan, Bernama of Malaysia, AsiaNet, Yonhap of South Korea, ITAR-TASS News Agency of Russia, FAAPA of Africa, CAN of Cyprus, Moroccan News Agency (MAP), Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) and Emirates News Agency (WAM) of the UAE to name a few.
Founded in 1988, UNB is the first fully digitalised wire service in South Asia and is the principal partner in news exchange with AP, one of the world's largest wire services.
Read Enayetullah Khan represents Bangladesh at 17th OANA General Assembly
Also, a member of News Agencies World Congress (NAWC), UNB has remained true to its core values of accuracy and integrity.
Rozina to get fair judgement: FM tells CNN
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday said Prothom Alo senior correspondent Rozina Islam will get fair treatment and judgement, emphasising that Bangladesh’s judiciary is very independent.
“Bangladesh’s judiciary is very independent, she [Rozina] will get fair treatment, and judgment… everybody. We don't want anyone to suffer," he told CNN in a live interview, mentioning that it is a legal issue and in the process of that they do not intend to interfere with it.
Read: Order on journalist Rozina Islam’s bail Sunday
Dr Momen said there is law in the country and they honour the law, and that is why they do not want to talk about it much since it is in the court. “Rozina will get a totally fair judgment… no doubt about that."
On Thursday, Dr Momen said it is very regrettable what happened to journalist Rozina Islam and there is nothing to hide by the government.
"It's very regrettable. The government of Sheikh Hasina is a media-friendly one. We’ve nothing to hide. I know, as Foreign Ministry, we’ve to face it. Many will raise questions. We don't want such incidents," Dr Momen said.
He appreciated the role of the media for unearthing many stories, including the pillow saga and Shahed Karim issues.
"The government has taken action (after those stories are published). You (media) help the government. You’re part of the government. You’re helping us (govt) much. We thank you," he said.
Dr Momen referred to what ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said on Wednesday and appreciated Hanif's remarks.
Read: It's very regrettable; nothing to hide: FM about Rozina issue
Hanif said the incident that took place in the Secretariat with journalist Rozina Islam was undesirable and that the country would benefit if strict action was taken against the corrupt instead of filing cases against journalists.
Dr Momen said this should have been managed by the Health Ministry.
Referring to what his other colleagues said, Dr Momen said Rozina will get justice. "It's unexpected."
Rozina is accused under sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of the Penal Code, for allegedly attempting to “collect sensitive government documents and taking photos of them” at the Health Ministry.
On May 18, a magistrate court turned down the police department’s request for a 5-day remand and instead sent her to jail.
Rozina was confined to a room for nearly six hours as she went to the Health Ministry on May 17 when she fell ill and fainted. She was then taken to Shahbagh Police Station.
Read: Drop all "oppressive charges" against Rozina: HRW
On Thursday, the Human Rights Watch said Bangladesh authorities should drop all the "oppressive charges" against renowned journalist Rozina Islam.
Rozina's colleagues believe she was detained over her reporting on corruption and mismanagement in the public health sector, including the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, said the HRW.
Order on journalist Rozina Islam’s bail Sunday
A Dhaka court on Thursday fixed Sunday for passing an order on the bail petition of Prothom Alo senior reporter Rozina Islam in a case filed under the Official Secrets Act.
Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah fixed the date after hearing on the bail petition.
Rozina’s counsel Prashanto Kumar Karmakar submitted the petition on May 18 seeking her bail.
Read:It's very regrettable; nothing to hide: FM about Rozina issue
Public prosecutor Mohammad Abdullah represented the state.
The 42-year-old journalist, known for her investigative journalism, was detained at the Secretariat for over five hours before being handed over to police on May 17.
She allegedly clicked photos of documents related to government negotiations with pharma firms to buy Covid-19 vaccines, according to case documents.
An FIR was filed against Rozina under the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of The Penal Code on a complaint filed by the Health Services Division with Shahbagh Police Station.
Later, on May 18, a Dhaka court sent Rozina to jail after rejecting the police's demand for her five-day remand. Rozina was taken to Kashimpur Central Women's Jail on that day only.
Read:Drop all "oppressive charges" against Rozina: HRW
It's very regrettable; nothing to hide: FM about Rozina issue
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said it is very regrettable what happened to journalist Rozina Islam and there is nothing to hide by the government.
He said they will have to face the international community for the behaviour of a few people.
"It's very regrettable. The government of Sheikh Hasina is a media-friendly one. We’ve nothing to hide. I know, as Foreign Ministry, we’ve to face it. Many will raise questions. We don't want such incidents," Dr Momen said, adding that "you (questioner) may be right" that few people bring bad fame for the government.
The Foreign Minister made the remarks when his comment was sought on the issue of Rozina Islam after his meeting with South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun at State guesthouse Padma.
Read:Drop all "oppressive charges" against Rozina: HRW
Dr Momen appreciated the role of the media in unearthing many stories, including the pillow saga and Shahed Karim issues.
"The government has taken action (after those stories were published). You (media) help the government. You’re part of the government. You’re helping us (govt) much. We thank you," he said.
Dr Momen referred to what ruling Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said on Wednesday and appreciated his remarks.
Hanif said the incident that took place at the Secretariat with journalist Rozina Islam was undesirable and that the country would have benefited if strict action had been taken against the corrupt instead of filing cases against journalists.
Drop all "oppressive charges" against Rozina: HRW
Human Rights Watch on Thursday said Bangladesh authorities should drop all the "oppressive charges" against renowned journalist Rozina Islam.
Rozina's colleagues believe she was detained over her reporting on corruption and mismanagement in the public health sector, including the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, said the HRW.
She is accused under sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of the Penal Code, for allegedly attempting to “collect sensitive government documents and taking photos of them” at the Health Ministry.
Read:Dhaka court to hear Rozina’s bail plea Thursday
Journalists across Bangladesh are protesting to seek her release, HRW said.
“Bangladesh authorities should produce evidence of wrongdoing or immediately release Rozina Islam and stop arresting journalists for doing their job, which is also to highlight governance flaws,” said Brad Adams, HRW Asia director.
“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.”
Quoting media reports, the HRW said Rozina went to the Health Ministry on May 17 for a meeting with the health services secretary.
She was confined to a room there for nearly six hours, during which she fell ill and fainted, then was taken to the police.
According to the complaint filed by the Health Ministry, she had taken government documents related to the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines. She denies these allegations.
Read: Amnesty: Rozina must not be punished for doing her job
The HRW said in a video recording by another journalist after her hearing on May 18, Rozina said, “because of my reporting on the Health Ministry, I'm being wronged.”
On May 18, a magistrate court turned down the police department’s request for 5-day remand and instead sent her to jail until her bail hearing scheduled for today.
“The arrest of Rozina Islam sends a terrifying message to journalists uncovering corruption in Bangladesh,” Adams said. “By speaking out for Rozina Islam, concerned government will be standing with Bangladeshi journalists across the country.”