Prothom Alo Journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams was shifted to Kashimpur Central Jail-1 in Gazipur from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj on Friday.
Confirming the matter, Senior Superintendent of Kashimpur Central Jail-1 Shahjahan Ahmed said, “Several accused have been brought here from Keraniganj jail. Journalist Shamsuzzaman is among them.”
On Thursday, a Dhaka court sent Shamsuzzaman, a staff reporter of vernacular daily Prothom Alo stationed in Savar, to jail after rejecting his bail petition in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA).
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Tofazzal Hossain passed the order after Ramna police station’s Inspector Abu Ansar, also the investigating officer of the case, produced him before the court with a plea to send him to jail.
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Opposing the police petition, defence lawyer Proshanto Kumar Karmakar submitted a petition seeking bail for the journalist, in the case filed with Ramna police station.
After the hearing, the court rejected the bail petition and sent Shamsuzzaman to jail.
On March 29, plainclothesmen claiming to be members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) picked up Shamsuzzaman from his residence in the Ambagan area of Savar.
A lawyer named Abdul Malek alias Mashiur Malek on Wednesday night filed the case accusing Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, its staff reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams, an unnamed assistant cameraman, and unnamed others under sections 25, 31 and 35 of the DSA.
According to the case, there is an 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 Shamsuzzaman with Tejgaon police station in the early hours of Wednesday. The case was filed a couple of hours before the journalist was picked up from his home in Savar.
Shamsuzzaman 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 Shamsuzzaman by law enforcers wearing plainclothes triggered widespread criticism.
'Release journalist Shamsuzzaman'
Progressive students bloc of Jahangirnagar University (JU) put a barricade on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway for around an hour on Friday, demanding immediate release Shamsuzzman Shams, a former student of the university.
Earlier, they staged a demonstration at the university’s Murad Chattar and later moved to the highway, causing a long tailback on both sides of the highway, UNB reports.
JU’s Sangskrikit Jote President Soumik Bagchi and Chattra Union Organising Secretary Ali Mahmud among others spoke at the protest programme on the highway.
Soumik Bagchi said journalist Shams voiced the words of thousands of people of the country through the day-labour Zakir's quote ("Our fish, meat and rice need to be freed").
“We didn’t see the rules of the British and Yahya but today we are seeing their ghosts,” he said.
The progressive leader threatened that the country will witness another mass upsurge once more courage is shown to control mouths of people through the Digital Security Act.
The movement will spread across the country unless the arrested journalist is sent back to his mother immediately, he said.
Taposi Dey, a 47th batch student of the university, alleged, “The state closes our mouths when we voice our needs.”
She threatened that they would go for a tougher movement unless Shamsuzzaman is released by Sunday.
