United News of Bangladesh

A Dhaka court on Monday (April 03, 2023) granted bail to Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA). Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur granted the bail on a bond of Tk 20,000. A Dhaka court on Thursday sent him to jail rejecting his bail petition. Another petition was filed on Monday seeking bail. Later, the journalist was shifted to Kashimpur Central Jail from Keraniganj on March 31. Meanwhile, he was taken back to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj from Kashimpur Central Jail on April 1. Also read: Journalist Shamsuzzaman taken back to Dhaka Central Jail On March 29, members of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in plainclothes picked up Shams from his residence in Ambagan area, adjacent to Jahangirnagar University, around 4:30 am. The same day, a Jubo League leader filed a case under the Digital Security Act against Shams, accusing him of publishing a "false and fabricated report" on the Prothom Alo website. On March 29, an FIR was filed by a lawyer named Abdul Malek (Mashiur Malek), accusing Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman, reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams, an unnamed “assistant cameraman”, and unnamed others of “using print, online, and electronic media to tarnish the image and reputation of the state.” In the FIR, the lawyer also mentioned that the accused were “purposefully spreading misinformation to deteriorate the law and order situation of the country.” Read More: Prothom Alo Editor seeks anticipatory bail in DSA case, hearing yet to begin The High Court on Sunday (April 02, 2023) granted six weeks anticipatory bail to Prothom Alo Editor and Publisher Matiur Rahman in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

A Dhaka court on Thursday (March 30, 2023) sent Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams to jail in a case filed under the Digital Security Act after rejecting his bail petition. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Md Tofazzal Hossain turned down the bail petition. Earlier, Ramna Model Police Station Inspector Abu Ansar, also investigating officer of the case, requested the court for sending him to jail when Shams was produced before the court. Read More: CID arrested Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuzzan in a case: Home Minister Proshanto Kumar Karmakar, lawyer of Shamsuzzaman, appeared for the bail plea. On March 29, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) men in plainclothes picked up Shams from his residence in Ambagan area, adjacent to Jahangirnagar University, around 4:30 am. The same day, a Jubo League leader filed a case under the Digital Security Act against Shams, accusing him of publishing a "false and fabricated report" in the daily Prothom Alo. Read More: Prothom Alo journalist Shams taken to court

Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams was taken to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court today, in connection with a case filed against him under Digital Security Act. A team of police took him to the court today (March 30, 2023) around 10:10 am. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) men in plainclothes picked up Shams from his residence in Ambagan area, adjacent to Jahangirnagar University, around 4:30 am on Wednesday (March 29, 2023). The same day, a Jubo League leader filed a case under the Digital Security Act against Shams, accusing him of publishing a "false and fabricated report" in the daily Prothom Alo. Also read; Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman sued under DSA Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said that members of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the Prothom Alo reporter in a case. Meanwhile, opposition party BNP has denounced Shams' arrest, saying it is a "dreadful incident". Rights body Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation also condemned the arrest of the Prothom Alo journalist. Besides, editor of the leading daily Prothom Alo, Matiur Rahman, has been sued alongside other staff members under the Digital Security Act. Prothom Alo reported the development at 3:19 am today on its website. Read More: Prothom Alo editor sued under DSA

Shamsuzzaman Shams, a reporter of Bangla daily Prothom Alo, was picked up allegedly by a law enforcement agency from his Savar residence early Wednesday (March 29, 2023). Witnesses and family members said 16 Criminal Investigation Department (CID) members in plainclothes reached in front of Shamsuzzaman’s residence in Ambagan area adjacent to Jahangirnagar University around 4:30 am. Later, seven-eight of them entered the house of the journalist and picked him up. They took him to Savar Bottola area where they have their ‘sehri’ at Nurjahan Hotel. Chief security officer of the university Sudipta Shaheen, and a security guard were also with them at the hotel. Read more: Journalist arrested under Digital Security Act in Khulna They also seized a laptop, two mobile phone sets and a portable hard disc after searching the room of Shamsuzzaman. Shamsuzzaman along with his mother has been living on the ground floor of the building in Ambagan area for the past one year. He is also the younger brother of Rabiul Karim, an assistant police commissioner who died in the Holey Artisan café attack in 2016. At 4:45 am, the CID members again went to the house of Shamsuzzaman along with him. Sub-inspector of Ashulia Police Station Md Raju and local journalist Ariful Islam were present there. Read more: Satkhira journalist, earlier ‘picked up by law enforcers’, shown arrested During their stay at the house for 5-7 minutes, Shamsuzzaman was asked to take some clothes. Later they again left the house with Shamsuzzaman. A police officer also told owner of the house Ferdous Alam that Shamsuzzaman wrote a report against the state and he was detained for interrogation. Azad Rahman, additional superintendent of CID (media), said “I have no idea about it and there is no information of any case filed against him.” Read More: ‘Strong possibility head injury led to brain haemorrhage, no sign of high blood pressure’: RMCH director on Jasmine Sultana’s death Md Quamruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station, said he was not informed about the detention of Shamsuzzaman. “Investigation is on to find out Shamsuzzaman,” he said.

The officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotwali police station allegedly harassed a cameraperson and a reporter of private NTV while they were capturing video of detention of BNP men in Chattogram city on Thursday. The accused OC Jahedul Kabir also took away the camera from the cameraman Suman Gowsami and deleted footage of the incident. In an instant reaction, journalists from a rally in front of Chattogram Press Club demanded the OC be withdrawn within the next 24 hours. Otherwise, they will go for a tougher movement. NTV Senior Reporter Arich Ahmed Shah said OC Jahedul obstructed them from capturing the incident of detention of the BNP men in front of the party office in the city’s Kazir Dewri area around 2pm. “He (OC) threatened to arrest us within two minutes when we protested the incident of deletion of footage from the memory card after taking away the camera from Suman (cameraperson),” he said. Atonu Chakrabartya, assistant commissioner (Kotwali zone) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, said they detained four BNP men from in front of the BNP office and they were shown arrested over the clash with the cops on January 16. However, no higher police officers agreed to make comments over the harassment by the OC.  Read more: Journalist suspensions widen rift between Twitter and media 

Rozina Islam, a senior female journalist of Prothom Alo was arrested on the charge of attempting to illegally “collect sensitive government documents and taking photos of them” from the Secretariat on Monday. The Health Services Division filed a case against Rozina Islam with Shahbagh Police Station at night, said Harun ur Rashid, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Ramna Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The journalist rejected all the allegations and said she had been harassed inside the Secretariat. Read Why press freedom matters ADC Rashid said the journalist had been sued under the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of The Penal Code. Rozina was handed over to police around 9:45pm after being held at the Secretariat for over five hours. Maidul Islam Pradhan, senior information officer at the Health Ministry, claimed that she had entered the room of the Private Secretary to the Secretary of Health Services Division between 3pm and 3:30pm “without permission”. Read ‘Independent media’ spreading lies against govt: Quader “She took photos of sensitive documents. Some of those were recovered from her by the staff of the Health Ministry, including the PS, Additional Secretary of the Ministry and police Constable Mizanur Rahman,” he claimed. Health Secretary Lokman Hossain refused to speak to the media about the incident.