Editor jailed in journalist’s case for reporting on highly criticized State Minister Shahe Alam

❐ Local correspondent

Rezanur Islam (40), the acting editor of the newspaper ‘Dainik Agrajatra Pratidin’, has been arrested.

A team of Bogra DB police arrested him from Board Bazar area of ​​Gacha upazila of Gazipur upazila last night. He was sent to Bogra jail through a court today, Friday, June 19.

Bogra Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) Ataur Rahman confirmed this information to the media on Friday afternoon.

Tanvir Alam Rimon, treasurer of the Bogra Press Club and northern correspondent of The New Nation newspaper, filed the case against six people, including the editor-publisher of the newspaper, on June 15, for reporting corruption against Mir Shahe Alam, MP for Bogra-2 (Shibganj) and State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

Bogra Senior Judicial Magistrate Mehedi Hasan ordered legal action against the defendants and the case to be registered as a complaint at Sadar Police Station.

The other accused in the case are Daily Agrajatra Pratidin publisher and editor Mehedi Hasan, acting editor Rezanur Islam, news editor Ashraf Ali Farooqui, reporter Saleh Kaiser, Bogra reporter Md. Shams and Bogra district correspondent Sabbir Hasan.

The plaintiff has mentioned in the application of the case that the defendants have systematically tried to tarnish the personal, social and political reputation of the plaintiff and Mir Shah Alam, Member of Parliament for Bogra-2 (Shibganj) constituency and State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, by publishing and disseminating false, fabricated and misleading information.

A post titled ‘Controversial State Minister Mir Shah Alam in road accident now gives advice to journalists, claiming to be a journalist’ was circulated on social media, distorting the State Minister’s statement at a press conference held at the Bogra Press Club on June 12.

In addition, provocative, misleading and defamatory comments about the State Minister have been spread on social media on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s national visit on June 13.

Plaintiff Tanvir Alam stated in his application that the accused have intentionally disseminated these information without any reliable information or evidence. As a result, the reputation of the concerned persons has been tarnished and confusion and adverse reactions have been created in the public mind. The case has been charged with committing crimes under sections 500, 501, 504 and 109 of the Bangladesh Penal Code.

After the plaintiff’s application and initial hearing, the court ordered the OC of Bogra Sadar Police Station to accept the case as a complaint. Sadar Police Station recorded a case under various sections of the Cyber ​​Security Act 2026. Later, the case was assigned to SI Rahmatullah Manik of Bogra DB Police to investigate the case.

Bogra DB OC Iqbal Bahar said that a team led by an investigation officer conducted a raid in the Board Bazar area of ​​Gacha upazila of Gazipur district around 11 pm on Thursday. From there, Rezanur Islam, the acting editor of the daily Agrajatra Pratidin, was arrested.

He is the son of Jalil Mia of Basura area of ​​Joydebpur upazila of Gazipur. He was sent to Bogra jail by the court on Friday afternoon.

SI Rahmatullah Manik, the investigation officer of the case, said that the operation to arrest the other accused in the case is continuing.