Journalist Rozina released on bail

Journalist Rozina Islam has been released on bail from Kashimpur Women's Jail in Gazipur at 4:15 pm on Sunday. 

Soon after walking out of jail seven days after she was arrested in a case filed by the health ministry, Rozina expressed her firmed vow to continue her profession as a journalist facing any kind of odds.

"I will continue to be a journalist," Rozina told reporters after her release. “I am grateful to the countrymen and the journalist community for standing by me.” 

She is now on way to Dhaka by a private car.

A Dhaka court has granted interim bail to Rozina Islam, a Senior Correspondent of Bangla daily Prothom Alo, in a case filed by the health ministry under the Official Secrets Act.

The court of Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Baki Billah delivered the order on Sunday morning.

Rozina's lawyer Prashanto Kumar Karmakar told the reporters that the court had granted bail to the accused on bond of Tk 5,000 and with the condition of submitting her passport.

Lawyers have been waiting in court since morning for a bail hearing while the media workers were also seen crowding on the premises of the court. 

On May 17, Rozina went to the health ministry in the Secretariat around 3:30pm to perform her professional duties. She was then confined in a room of the ministry till 8:30pm. At one stage, she fell sick there and she was taken to Shahbagh Police Station.

On the same day, the health ministry filed a case against Rozina under several sections of the Official Secrets Act and penal code. 

Shibbir Ahmed Osmani, deputy secretary of Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station, accusing the journalist of stealing and taking photos of highly sensitive government documents.

Later, Rozina Islam was shown arrested in the case.

On the following day, a Dhaka court rejected the five-day remand plea sought by Rozina and ordered to send her jail. Then Rozina was taken to Kashimpur Central Women's Jail.

The court also set May 20 for hearing on bail order.

On the day, the court held the bail hearing and could not pass any order as the prosecution urged the court to delay the verdict for submitting a video that was surfacing on social media as evidence for checking by the court.

The court then fixed Sunday for delivering its order asking the prosecution to submit important and relevant documents relating to the case.

Meanwhile, the case was transferred to the Detective Branch of Police for investigation.

The confinement and arrest of Rozina, who has written several in-depth reports on corruption in the health sector amid the pandemic, triggered countrywide protests by all walks of people of life.