Bangladeshi journalist arrested for COVID reporting granted bail

Rozina Islam’s arrest for unearthing official corruption in the government’s COVID response caused an outcry.

A leading female Bangladesh journalist, who reported on official corruption during the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been granted conditional bail after her detention sparked days of nationwide protests and drew international condemnation. Rozina Islam, 42, an investigative reporter for the country’s largest Bengali daily Prothom Alo, was arrested by police on Monday under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a possible death penalty. She was later charged with stealing health ministry documents. Islam was granted bail on Sunday after being ordered to surrender her passport and pay a bail bond of 5,000 taka ($60) by the chief metropolitan magistrate of the capital Dhaka, her lawyer told reporters.