A Dhaka court today (April 6) deferred the date for submitting the further investigation report of the case filed against Prothom Alo Senior Reporter Rozina Islam under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Penal Code to May 21.

Thursday (April 6) was 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, prompting Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur to set new date for submitting the report.

On January 23, Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain directed the PBI to conduct a further probe and submit a report before the court by February 28.

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, also the complainant of the case.

On July 4, last year Investigation Officer Morshed Hossain Khan, 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 investigator 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 17,2021.

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 at Shahbagh police station.

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

BDST: 1233 HRS, APR 06, 2023
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