BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir criticized the postponement of the bail order of Prothom Alo's senior reporter Rozina Islam and said that the same old tactics that have been done with politicians for so long have been applied to this journalist.
A bail hearing was held in Dhaka's Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court on Thursday in the case filed by the Ministry of Health against investigative journalist Rozina Islam. A few hours after the hearing, the court said that an order on his bail would be passed on Sunday.
However, after the hearing on Thursday, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir criticized the postponement of Rozina Islam's bail order.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, 'Rozina Islam incident is not an isolated incident. This is the overall look of Bangladesh. After the Awami League government came to power, torture has come down on journalists one after another.'
He said that the government has been oppressing dissident politicians and journalists for so long. Now it has come upon the media.
The General Secretary of BNP criticized that many media were silent about the 'disappearance' of BNP leaders and workers and the harassment and torture of journalists at various times.
Mirza Fakhrul said, 'I have not seen the media being so vocal about Khaleda Zia's false case. Maybe he thought it didn't happen to me. Now it's up to you.' Pointing out that the editors of Prothom Alo and Daily Star were also not spared from the case, he further said, 'No one is saved when fascism comes. We have to stand against this government.'
BNP Secretary General said, 'All journalists are united about Rozina Islam. How long will this unity last? During Sagar-Runi, the two sides joined the streets. But not even four or five days passed. One is now an advisor to the government. Gave halwa-rooty to others. Brave journalists like Rozina Islam cannot be saved as long as I am in search of halwa-rooties.'
Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, a member of the BNP's standing committee, said in the discussion meeting that the media is now in the hands of the government. Journalists were tortured in the secretariat. This is the character of fascism.
He criticized for not being able to submit the investigation report of Sagar-Rooney murder even after all these years.
Khandaker Musharraf said that the vaccine purchase agreement cannot be a confidential information. No journalist can be harassed for getting this information. This situation should be relieved by restoring democracy.
Abdul Moin Khan, another member of the BNP Standing Committee commented that the government's character has come to the fore again with the arrest of Rozina Islam. Three said, looking at the situation, it seems that they were eager to catch Rozina.
Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, another member of BNP's standing committee said, how can secret documents of the state lie open on the secretary's PS table? If the Minister of Health considers this to be a confidential document, which is harmful to the security of the state, then he and everyone in the ministry should be out of a job.
Amir Khosru said, what is happening with Rosina is not unexpected in the current reality of the country.
Shaukat Mahmud, former president of Jatiya Press Club and BFUJ, said that the Judiciary is in doubt about Rozina Islam's bail. Here the influence of the executive department is seen in the judicial department.
General Secretary of National Press Club Ilyas Khan said, this government has never been media friendly. In the last 12 years, a cycle of Awami League has developed across the country.
BNP Publicity Secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury also addressed the meeting by BNP Standing Committee members Nazrul Islam Khan, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, President of Dhaka Journalist Union (DUJ), former President of Jatiya Press Club Riaz Uddin Ahmed and others.
