A Dhaka court on Thursday fixed Sunday for passing the order on the bail petition of Prothom Alo Senior Correspondent Rozina Islam in a case filed under the Official Secrets Act.
Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah fixed the date after hearing the bail petition.
Rozina’s counsel Prashanto Kumar Karmakar submitted the petition on May 18 seeking her bail while Public prosecutor Mohammad Abdullah represented the state.
The 42-year-old journalist, known for her investigative journalism, was detained at the Secretariat for more than five hours before being turned over to the police on May 17.
She allegedly clicked photos of documents related to government negotiations with pharma firms to buy Covid-19 vaccines, according to case documents.
An FIR was filed against Rozina under the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of The Penal Code on a complaint filed by the Health Services Division with Shahbagh Police Station.
Later, on May 18, a Dhaka court sent Rozina to jail after rejecting the police’s demand for her five-day remand. Rozina was taken to Kashimpur Central Women’s Jail on that day only.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has formed a three-member probe committee to look into the allegations of the journalist’s detention at the Secretariat and also her subsequent handover to the police.
Meanwhile, the case filed against Rozina was transferred to the Detective Branch of police on Wednesday.
