Digital art based on two images published by Dainik Agrajatra Pratidin.

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Newsman, Dhaka

A platform of international correspondents based in Bangladesh has strongly condemned the arrest and subsequent jailing of a regional newspaper editor, warning that using criminal laws to punish reporting on public officials sends a “chilling message” to the press.

Md Rezanur Islam, the acting editor of the Dainik Agrajatra Pratidin, was arrested by the Detective Branch of the police in Gazipur on Thursday night, June 18, according to a statement issued on Saturday (June 20) by Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media (BJIM). He was produced before a Bogura court on Friday and subsequently sent to jail.

The arrest stems from a case filed by Tanvir Alam Rimon, the treasurer of the Bogura Press Club, which names six journalists from the same news outlet. The lawsuit includes criminal defamation and extortion claims, as well as charges under the controversial Cyber Security Act (CSA), a piece of legislation frequently criticized by rights watchdogs for its potential weaponization against free speech.

The legal action reportedly centers around news reports and social media posts concerning Mir Shahe Alam, the state minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, who also represents the Bogura-2 parliamentary constituency.

A Test for Press Freedom

While BJIM stated it takes no position on the factual accuracy of the disputed reports, it characterized the state’s response as “alarming and disproportionate,” arguing that it risks turning the criminal justice system into an instrument of intimidation.

“In any democratic society, ministers, lawmakers, and other holders of public office must tolerate a higher degree of scrutiny than private citizens,” the media rights group said. “Public-interest reporting on alleged corruption, misconduct, abuse of power, or official conduct is at the core of journalism.”

The group emphasized that allegations of journalistic inaccuracy or professional misconduct should be handled via transparent, civil remedies rather than “midnight-style arrests” and pre-trial imprisonment.

Continuity of Repressive Tools

The incident has sparked broader concerns regarding the political environment and the persistence of legal tools used to suppress media independence across transitions of power. The statement noted with concern that the invocation of the Cyber Security Act mirrors historical patterns in Bangladesh where digital laws are used to pressure newsrooms into self-censorship.

“A change in political leadership cannot mean continuity in the tools of repression,” the statement added, calling on the new administration to break away from “old habits of criminalising the press.”

Media reports indicate that State Minister Mir Shahe Alam has publicly distanced himself from the litigation, stating that no one should take legal action or issue statements on his behalf. However, BJIM noted that a “minister’s stated regret is insufficient while a journalist remains behind bars,” urging the government to translate that public stance into immediate legal action.

The press body has demanded the immediate release of Islam, the withdrawal of all publication-related criminal charges against the accused journalists, and an end to the use of police powers to penalize scrutiny of public figures.

Government and police officials in Bogura were not immediately available for comment regarding the status of the investigation or the conditions of the detention.