A Bogra court has fixed Sunday for the next hearing in a case filed against six individuals, including Md Rezanur Islam, acting editor of Daily Agrajatra Pratidin, over the publication of a news report concerning State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Kamal Hossain on Friday sent Rezanur to jail after a hearing in the case.
According to police and case sources, Tanvir Alam Rimon, treasurer of Bogra Press Club and northern regional correspondent of The New Nation, filed the case on June 15 against six individuals, including the newspaper's editor and publisher. The complaint also names two to three unidentified persons.
The accused are Mehedi Hasan, publisher and editor of Daily Agrajatra Pratidin; Rezanur Islam, acting editor; Ashraf Ali Faruqi, news editor; Saleh Kaisar, reporter; Md Shams, Bogra correspondent; and Sabbir Hasan, Bogra district correspondent.
The plaintiff alleged that the accused intentionally sought to damage the minister's personal, social and political reputation by publishing and circulating false, fabricated and misleading information.
According to the complaint, a statement made by the state minister at a press conference at the Bogra Press Club on June 12 was distorted and circulated on social media. The post allegedly stated: "Claiming to have been a journalist, he now advises journalists—controversial state minister Mir Shahe Alam over the 'road incident'."
The complaint further alleged that provocative, misleading and defamatory remarks targeting the minister were circulated on social media on June 13.
Following a preliminary hearing, the court directed Bogra Sadar Police Station to register it as a complaint case. It was later recorded under the Cyber Security Act 2026 and assigned to SI Rahmatullah Manik of Bogra Detective Branch (DB) for investigation.
Bogra DB Officer-in-Charge Iqbal Bahar said a team led by the investigating officer arrested Rezanur at around 11:05pm on Thursday from the Board Bazar area of Gacha union in Gazipur.
Following the arrest, he was produced before the court, which sent him to jail and set Sunday for the next hearing, he added.
The arrest has sparked criticism among journalists.
Shafiq Shaheen, a staff reporter at Daily Agrajatra Pratidin, said acting editors are not typically involved in editorial decisions related to the publication of reports, although editors and reporters may be held accountable for defamatory content.
He also said the complainant could have sought redress through the Bangladesh Press Council instead of filing a court case.
Shaheen further alleged that Rezanur was arrested without a proper investigation and was not allowed to communicate with his family after being detained. He also claimed that Rezanur had been under surveillance before his arrest and that police had considered raiding the newspaper's office.
He said they would seek bail for Rezanur during Sunday's hearing and expressed hope that the court would grant it.