In Bangladesh, a journalist named Rezanur Islam, acting editor of Dainik Agrajatra Pratidin, has been arrested under the Cyber Security Act. The arrest is related to reports allegedly defaming State Minister Mir Shahe Alam. Following a court order, Islam was sent to Bogra jail after being apprehended on June 18.
The case against Islam was filed on June 15, citing a report that accused Bogra-2 lawmaker and State Minister Mir Shahe Alam of corruption. The complaint was lodged by Tanvir Alam Rimon, a representative of The New Nation, against six individuals, including the editor and publisher of the newspaper. Legal proceedings were initiated by the senior judicial magistrate based on the complaint.
The report in question was published on social media on May 4 by Agrajatra Pratidin, alleging corruption involving State Minister Mir Shahe Alam. The complainant deemed the report “defamatory, false, and fabricated.” The arrest of Rezanur Islam has sparked concerns about press freedom in Bangladesh, with the Awami League criticizing the use of criminal proceedings against journalists for critical reporting.
