UNB :
Prothom Alo senior reporter Rozina Islam, who was sent to jail on May 18 in a case filed under the Official Secrets Act, walked out of Kashimpur Women’s Central Jail on Sunday afternoon after securing interim bail from a Dhaka court.
Rozina came out of the prison around 4:15 pm, according to jail officials.
Journalists and people from different walks of life received Rozina at the jail gate with flower bouquets. Her 13 relatives, including sister and brother-in-law, reached the jail gate around 3:25 pm in two microbuses to receive her.
The bail-related documents were sent to the jail authorities online and they freed her after examining those.
Earlier in the day, a Dhaka court granted interim bail to Rozina Islam until July 15 in the case.
Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah granted the bail on a bond of Tk 5,000. The court also asked her to submit her passport before the court.
On Thursday, the court had fixed Sunday for passing an order after hearing her bail petition virtually.
The 42-year-old journalist, known for her investigative journalism, was detained at the Secretariat for over five hours before being handed over to police on May 17.
She allegedly clicked photos of documents related to government negotiations with pharma firms to buy Covid-19 vaccines, according to case documents.
An FIR was filed against Rozina under the Official Secrets Act and sections 379 and 411 of The Penal Code on a complaint filed by the Health Services Division with Shahbagh Police Station.
Later, on May 18, a Dhaka court sent Rozina to jail after rejecting the police’s demand for her five-day remand. Rozina was taken to Kashimpur Central Women’s Jail on that day only.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has formed a three-member probe committee to look into the allegations of the journalist’s detention at the Secretariat and also her subsequent handover to the police.
Meanwhile, the case filed against Rozina was transferred to the Detective Branch of police on Wednesday.
Nationwide protests
Rozina’s harassment for hours and her subsequent arrest sparked condemnation across the country.
Journalists formed human chains and held rallies in the capital and other parts of the country on Wednesday demanding the “unconditional” release of Rozina and the punishment of those involved in harassing her at the Secretariat.
They also demanded withdrawal of the false cases filed against the journalist.
