Reporters Without Borders calls for release of Rozina

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged the Bangladesh government for immediate release of Prothom Alo journalist Rozina Islam.

The RSF in a statement published on its website on Wednesday made the call.

“Investigative journalist Rozina Islam was detained earlier this week during a visit to the Bangladeshi health ministry, after publishing a series of reports on corruption in the ministry. She was subsequently charged under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act,” it said.

“Islam, a reporter for the newspaper Prothom Alo, the country’s main Bengali-language daily, was arrested on Monday this week and later transferred to Shahbagh police station in Dhaka. According to the charges, of which RSF has seen a copy, she was accused of stealing “important official documents” from a government office and photographing confidential data. She could face the death penalty,” it said.

“The arrest of Rozina Islam and the allegations against her are particularly shocking since they are clearly based on a crude frame-up,” said Daniel Bastard, the head of RSF’s Asia-Pacific desk.

He called upon the government to order Rozina’s immediate and unconditional release and for the absurd charges against her to be dropped.