83 eminent citizens seek unconditional release of Rozina

GBNEWS24 DESK//

Eighty-three eminent citizens of the country on Friday demanded unconditional release of Prothom Alo’s senior reporter Rozina Islam in a case filed by the health ministry.

In a statement, they said, “We strongly demand the immediate withdrawal of the case against Rozina Islam, her unconditional release, and an inquiry into those responsible for harassing her.”

They said the civil society had hoped that Rozina would have granted bail on Thursday the sensitive nature of the incident, the citizen’s right to bail and the question of justice into consideration. However, the decision on bail was re-fixed for Sunday. “The delay by the court in taking a decision regarding Rozina’s bail has disappointed us.”

They said that all the charges in the case against Rozina were bailable and if she had been granted bail, there would be no obstacle to the next hearing of the case.

The statement said, “There has been protests and reactions at home and abroad about the arrest of senior journalist like Rozina on fabricated charges by the ministry of health. Journalist community and civil society have issued statements terming the arrest of Rozina as unwarranted and an embarrassment for the government. The United Nations has also expressed concern at the incident. The issue has appeared in leading newspapers of the world, which has tainted the image of the country and the government regarding the freedom of expression and democracy.”

The 83 signatories to this statement are educationist Serajul Islam Choudhury, former caretaker government advisors Wahiduddin Mahmud, Sultana Kamal, Hafizuddin Khan, Rasheda K Choudhury, Hossain Zillur Rahman, economist Debapriya Bhattacharya, human rights activist Sultana Kamal, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, Transparency International Bangladesh’s executive director Iftekharuzzaman, Gonoshasthaya Kendra’s Zafrullah Chowdhury, Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyers Shahdeen Malik, ZI Khan Panna, Sara Hossain, Nijera Kori’s coordinator Khushi Kabir, SHUJAN’s secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association’s chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan, professors Ali Riaz, Swapan Adnan and ALRD executive director Shamsul Huda.

The teachers signing the statement include Dhaka University’s CR Abrar, Asif Nazrul, Geeti Ara Nasreen, Robaet Ferdous, Samina Lutfa, Tanzimuddin Khan, Shahnaz Huda, Sumaiya Khair, Zobaida Nasrin, Kazi Maruful Islam, Gobinda Chakraborty, Jahangirnagar University’s Anu Muhammad, Mirza Taslima Sultana, Sayeed Ferdous, Nasrin Khandakar and Saima Khatun, Chittagong University’s Maidul Islam and Sadaf Noor, and researchers Meghna Guhathakurta and Nova Ahmed.

Also signatories of the statement were photographer Shahidul Alam, Parveen Hasan, Firdous Azim, Akmal Hossain Asia Society of Bangladesh’s president Mahfuza Khanam, human rights activist Sharmeen Morshed, Shireen P Huq, Sanjeeb Drong, Pallab Chakma, Faustina Pereira, Arup Rahi, Muktasree Chakma, Noor Khan, Rehnuma Ahmed, Ilira Dewan, Subrata Chowdhury, Ijazul Islam, Hana Shams Ahmed, Rezaur Rahman and Salma Ali.

Other signatories are Selim Jahan, Shameem Azad, Bina D’Costa, Abu Sayeed Khan, Tabarak Hossain, Parsa Sajid, Lubna Marium, Naila Z Khan, Saidia Gulrukh, Fauzia Khandakar, Kazi Sufia Akhter, Sushmita Pritha, Phillip Gain, Rezanur Rahman, Kanak Chakma, Mahbubur Rahman, Shimul Saha, Kamar Ahmed, Sara Afrin, Nasimul Ara Huq, Rozina Begum and Ahmed Kabir Kishore.

Journalist Rozina Islam was confined to a room at the secretariat on Sunday when she was carrying out her professional duties. She was handed over to the Shahbagh police station at late night and shown arrested in a case filed under the Official Secrets Act. The court rejected an appeal to place her on remand and ordered her to be sent to jail. She was later sent to Kashimpur Women’s Jail in Gazipur district.

The hearing of her bail petition took place on Thursday but no order was passed. The court later re-fixed the date of delivering bail order for Sunday.