Noab expresses dismay over physical harassment of journalist Rozina at Secretariat

Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (Noab) has expressed dismay at the physical harassment meted out to Bangla daily Prothom Alo's Senior Correspondent Rozina Islam at the Secretariat and handing her over to police on Monday night.

Rozina, who was on professional work at the Secretariat was confined to a room for five hours and underwent physical and verbal intimidation with her mobile phone sets being searched, said the statement signed by Noab President AK Azad and Vice-President ASM Shahidullah Khan (Badal).

"Noab observed that Rozina Islam is a known name for her honest investigative journalistic practices and that this might have irked a section of the officialdom. There are specific ways and forums established by law to react to and contradict published reports," read the statement.

"However, detaining a professional journalist, and that too a lady, for five hours in a closed room and haranguing her in the worst possible manner do not go well with the set standards of decency and press freedom," Noab said.

Noab, along with the working journalists, have been trying hard to keep afloat newspaper-publication through investment, hard work and dedication in these trying times, the statement reads.

However, incidents like the one faced by Rozina Islam would deter honest journalism and create a bad precedent, it said.

In the statement, Noab urged the appropriate authorities for unconditional release of Rozina Islam and bringing those responsible for Monday's incident at the Secretariat to book.