Journalist Arrested Over Report on State Minister Granted Bail

Journalist Md. Rezanur Islam, acting editor of the daily newspaper Agrajatra Pratidin, has been granted bail after being arrested in connection with reports published about State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam.

Judge Mehdi Hasan of the Bogura Sadar Cognizance Court granted bail to Rezanur at around 11:45 am on Sunday.

Rezanur was arrested on Thursday night from the Board Bazar area of Gazipur by detectives from the Bogura District Detective Branch (DB). He was produced before a court the following day, which ordered that he be sent to jail.

A resident of Basura village under Joydebpur Police Station in Gazipur, Rezanur Islam also works as a teacher at a local educational institution while serving as acting editor of Agrajatra Pratidin.

Bogura Court Police Inspector Shahidul Islam confirmed the bail order to Agamir Somoy.

Defense lawyer Tanzim Al-Misbah said the court granted bail upon a bond of Tk 500 following a hearing.

According to court documents, a complaint was filed with Bogura Sadar Police Station on June 17 by Tanvir Alam Rimon, Bogura bureau chief of Bangla TV and treasurer of the Bogura Press Club, over the publication of a report titled “Fraud by a Corrupt State Minister Exposed During Prime Minister’s Visit to Bogura.”

Six individuals were named as accused in the case. In addition to Rezanur Islam, the other defendants are publisher and editor Mehdi Hasan, News Editor Ashraf Ali Faruqi, Bogura correspondent Shams, and district representative Md. Sabbir Hasan.

The complaint alleges that the newspaper’s Facebook page published false and defamatory information on May 4 under the headline 'State Minister Mir Shahe Alam Amid Corruption Controversy.' Another report titled 'Fraud by a Corrupt State Minister Exposed During Prime Minister’s Visit to Bogura' was later published on June 11.

The complaint further states that the newspaper published a report on June 12 regarding a press conference held by the state minister, with a headline quoting his remarks.

According to the allegations, while preparations were underway to file the case, editor Mehdi Hasan contacted complainant Tanvir Alam via WhatsApp and demanded money. The complaint claims that when the demand was refused, threats were made to defame both the minister and the complainant.