Home ›› 31 Mar 2023 ›› Governance
A Dhaka court on Thursday sent journalist Samsuzzaman Shams to jail after rejecting his bail petition in a case filed under Digital Security Act.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Tofazzal Hossain passed the order after Ramna police station’s inspector Abu Ansar, also investigation officer of the case, produced him before the court with a plea to send him to jail.
Opposing the police petition, defence lawyer Proshanto Kumar Karmakar submitted a petition seeking bail for journalist Samsuzzaman, a staff reporter of vernacular daily Prothom Alo stationed in Savar, in the case filed with Ramna police station.
After the hearing, the court rejected the bail petition and sent Shams to jail.
On March 29, plainclothesmen claiming to be members of Criminal Investigation Department picked up Shams from his residence in the Ambagan area of Savar.
A lawyer named Abdul Malek Mashiur Malek on Wednesday night filed the case accusing Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, its staff reporter Samsuzzman Shams, an unnamed assistant cameraman, and unnamed others under sections 25, 31 and 35 of the DSA.
According to the case, there is the allegation of using print, online, and electronic media to tarnish the image and reputation of the state.
The FIR mentioned that the accused spread falsehood on purpose to deteriorate the law and order situation of the country.
Earlier, another case was filed against Samsuzzaman with Tejgaon police in the early hours of Wednesday. The case was filed a couple of hours before journalist Shams was picked up from his home in Savar.
Shams spoke to people including a child named Shobuj on March 25, on the eve of Independence Day, and submitted a report on people’s suffering due to price hikes. The report was published on March 26.
The news drew criticism as the newspaper used the child’s photo with a quote from a 40-year-old labourer named Zakir.
Prothom Alo withdrew the report within around half an hour and issued a correction later in the day, saying there was an inconsistency between the headline and the accompanying photo. Alongside the news item, the newspaper had also posted a poster on its social media handle.
Meanwhile, the arrest of the Prothom Alo reporter Shams by law enforcers wearing plainclothes triggered widespread criticism.
Different platforms of journalists including Dhaka Reporters Unity, and Reporters Against Corruption and rights bodies condemned the incident and demanded his immediate release.
Besides Editors’ Council, Editors’ Guild of Bangladesh, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) and the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) have published separate statements condemning the arrest of Shamsuzzaman Shams.
The Editors’ Guild of Bangladesh, an association formed to protect the editorial freedom, has expressed grave concern over the incident.
The Media Freedom Coalition – a cross-regional partnership of countries working together to advocate for media freedom – today published a statement condemning all sorts of “violence against and intimidation of journalist”.
