A Dhaka court has rejected a five-day remand prayer for Prothom Alo senior reporter Rozina Islam in a case filed under Official Secrets Act.
Judge of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Tuesday sent Rozina Islam to jail rejecting the remand plea and fixed Thursday for hearing on her bail plea.
Earlier in the day, police produced Rozina before the court at about 8.30am seeking a five-day remand in the case.
Police arrested Rozina Islam on Monday in a case filed with Shahbagh police station by the health ministry after confining her at the ministry for five hours.
Md Shibbir Ahmed Osmani, deputy secretary at the Health Services Division of the ministry filed the case as a petitioner accusing Rozina of collecting "sensitive government documents" and "taking photos of them ".
Dhaka Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner for Ramna zone Harun Ur Rashid told media that the case was filed under sections 379 and 411 of the penal code and the official secrets act.
Maidul Islam Pradhan, senior information officer at the ministry, claimed that Rozina had entered the office of the health services division secretary’s private secretary between 3:00pm and 3:30pm without permission.
Ministry staff including the private secretary, an additional secretary and a constable of police found photos of sensitive documents on Rozina’s phone, he added.
Rozina was kept confined at the ministry until she was handed over to the police at 9:45pm on Monday.
Rozina rejected all allegations brought against her by the officials and said she was harassed inside the ministry.
