Bangladesh: Rozina Islam - A Year Of Legal Harassment And State-Backed Intimidation

Location: Bangladesh, Dhaka 
Date: May 17, 2022

*Updated on May 26, 2022

Today marks one year to investigative journalist Rozina Islam’s arrest under espionage charges. As the investigation against her continues, the Prothom Alo newspaper correspondent has been made to circle courts for a year. The next hearing is fixed for May 26, but thus far the legal process has been marred with delays. The Coalition For Women In Journalism reiterates its call to the Bangladesh government to drop all baseless charges against her and end state-linked harassment. Thus far, no evidence against her has been presented and her right to a fair trial has been disregarded. 

After uncovering corruption and exposing the health department’s mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic, Rozina was charged with theft and photographing of sensitive state documents under the Official Secrets Act, a colonial-era law dating back to 1923 and the penal code. If convicted, she may be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison or to death. 

Rozina, an award-winning journalist, was first arrested on May 17, 2021, after a visit to the Health Ministry Secretariat. Health officials claimed she had taken pictures of Covid-19 vaccine documents and was detained for almost five hours before the police were called. She was then arrested and held in pre-trial detention till May 23, 2021, when she was released on bail following local and international outrage. In detention, the journalist was subjected to physical and psychological harassment. Her phone, passport and other personal belongings were seized. 

The conditions of her release included a bond of 5,000 takas, withholding of her passport and two guarantors to ensure compliance. As the investigation continues, Rozina is bound to appear before the courts multiple times a month for hearings which are delayed or rescheduled at the last minute. Her last hearing was on April 10, 2022, which had been rescheduled from March 2, 2022. 

Thus far, there has been no substantial review of her case and no evidence has been presented in court against her. The journalist and her lawyer are merely informed of the next date at the judicial and investigative authorities’ whim. It was after months of legal harassment that the case saw any major development. In January 2022, a Dhakka court allowed the temporary return of Rozina’s passport for six months and permission to leave the country on medical grounds as well as press accreditation for nine months. 

Before her arrest, Rozina uncovered corruption at the health ministry, irregularities in the doctors’ recruitment process, and how urgently needed medical equipment for Covid-19 treatment was left at the Dhaka airport for months. 

For the past year, she has been unable to pursue investigative pieces as she remains under constant surveillance of the authorities. Despite international outcry, there has been no significant progress in the case against her. Although she was allowed bail and eventually her passport, her hands remain tied. Based on the court’s conditions, she is bound to handover her passport to the authorities again in July 2022. 

For a year, Rozina Islam has faced duress, harassment and intimidation at the hands of state institutions and the courts. The charges against her are baseless and unfounded. The blatant abuse of an outdated colonial era law, which infringes on citizen’s right to information as well as the freedom of the press, to intimidate a fearless journalist is evident in this case. Several journalistic and rights-based organizations have reproached the Bangladeshi government for its brazen harassment of the journalist. The Coalition For Women In Journalism has amplified Rozina’s case multiple times over the past year and today we reiterate our call to the Bangladeshi government to drop the charges against Rozina. Journalists must be free to do their jobs without fear of government reprisal.

Update: On May 26, 2022, Rozina Islam was given yet another date for hearing on July 3, 2022. The court also upheld the previous decision and directed Rozina to submit her passport to the authorities by June 15, 2022. Earlier she was expected to hand it over in July after the court returned it for six months in January 2022. 

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.