UN concerned at Rozina's arrest
"It is something that's concerning. Our position has been clear”
The United Nations has expressed concerns over the harassment and arrest of Prothom Alo's senior reporter Rozina Islam.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said this in response to a question during a regular media briefing on Tuesday.
"We've seen the press reports on the journalist who was arrested in Bangladesh. It is, obviously, something that we are looking at. It is something that's concerning. Our position has been clear."
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"Journalists need to be able to do their work free of any sort of harassment or physical threat anywhere around the world. And, obviously, that includes Bangladesh and every other country. I think we have seen the very important work that journalists all around the world have done during the pandemic, and they need to be able to continue that work, wherever they may work."
Prothom Alo Senior Reporter Rozina was kept confined at the health ministry for more than five hours on Monday before being handed over to police.
Later, she was shown arrested in the case on charges of spiriting away "important" documents.
Investigative journalist Rozina, known for dozens of ground-breaking reports in her career, was charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act 1923.
Rozina Islam is known for her strong reportage of official corruption. She has recently made several investigative reports revealing corruptions in the health sector.
