Official secrets case against Rozina: Further report Aug 23

Journalist Rozina being taken by police (file photo).

A Dhaka court has deferred the date for submitting the further investigation report of the case filed against the Prothom Alo Senior Reporter Rozina Islam under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Penal Code to August 23.

August 10 was earlier fixed for submitting the further investigation report of the case but the investigation agency of the case Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) could not submit the report today, while Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sultan Sohag Uddin set new date for submitting the report.

On January 23, Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain directed PBI to conduct further probe in the case.

The court passed the order after hearing a no-confidence petition filed by Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Shibbir Ahmed, who is also the complainant of the case.

On July 4, last year Investigation Officer (IO) Morshed Hossain Khan, and also an Inspector of the Detective Branch of police submitted the final report to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka, praying to relieve Rozina of the charges.

In the final report, the IO said no evidence was found against Rozina and the case was an instance of factual error.

Earlier, Rozina Islam was kept confined and allegedly harassed in a room of the Health Ministry for more than five hours before being handed over to police on May 17 of 2021.

She was later sued by the Ministry 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 in the capital.

On May 17, 2021 the case was filed against the Prothom Alo journalist with Shahbagh Police Station over allegations of stealing and capturing photos of “highly sensitive” government documents. - Special Correspondent