Investigative journalist arrested over COVID-19 report.
Gatekeepers News reports the arrest of a female Bangladeshi investigative journalist, Rozina Islam. She was accused of stealing important documents and without any authorisation, photographed papers associated with the government’s acquisition of coronavirus vaccines from Russia and China.
The development comes after she uncovered corruption in the nation’s Ministry of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gatekeepers News gathered that had exposed how bribes were being given to hiring doctors and how critical pharmaceutical supplies for COVID-19 treatment were neglected at Dhaka airport for months.
Islam who works with Prothom Alo newspaper, the country’s most populous newspaper, was detained on Monday under the Official Secrets Act.
The investigative journalist’s husband, Monirul Islam Mithu explained that she was at the Health Ministry to interview an employee but was immediately locked in a room by a police officer and Ministry staff who reportedly took her phone and bag, allowing them to plant fabricated proof.
Bangladesh’s Health Minister, Zahid Maleque said the papers for the vaccine transactions had non-disclosure conditions, but Islam’s lawyer argued that the ministry is targeting her because of her recent releases that exposed alleged corruption in the public health system.
Gatekeepers News reports that she was made to appear in court on Tuesday and charged for stealing “important official documents” from a government office and capturing classified data.
The 42-year-old investigative journalist is alleged to have infringed articles 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act which legally authorises the killing of someone in cases of espionage.
She is also accused under articles 379 and 411 of the penal code of “putting a person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion” and hiding stolen papers, which could attract up to 14 years imprisonment.
Islam’s new hearing has been set for Thursday and there has since been protests and calls for her release from various journalist unions and advocacy groups.
