Health Minister Zahid Maleque claimed that journalist Rozina Islam was not tortured.
The minister also claimed that she was not kept confined for five hours.
He came up with the claims while talking to journalists in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Tuesday (May 18).
“It will be proved in the law if journalist Rozina Islam did not commit any crime. There is no personal anger as all are being discussed about the state’s work,” Zahid Maleque said.
Earlier, a Dhaka court rejected a five-day remand plea for Senior Correspondent of Prothom Alo Rozina Islam. Rejecting the bail plea, the court has ordered to send her to jail.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jashim passed the order in presence of Rozina.
The court will also hear a bail plea on May 20.
Earlier, Inspector of Shahbagh Police Station Arifur Rahman Sardar produced her before the court with a five-day remand prayer in a case filed under Official Secrets Act.
Rozina Islam went to the health ministry of the Secretariat on professional duty at around 3:30pm on Monday.
She was confined in a room there and her mobile phone was taken away. At one stage she fell sick there.
She was taken to Shabagh Thana after being kept confined for over five hours at the Secretariat. A case was filed against her on Monday midnight under Official Secrets Act.
Upon the news of Rozina’s confinement, journalists from different media outlets went to the building of the health ministry. They waited for long and wanted to know the reason of her confinement. But health ministry officials did not say anything.
Later, the journalists gathered outside the Secretariat and protested against her confinement.❐
