A Bogra court has fixed Sunday for the next hearing in a case filed under the Cyber Security Act against six individuals, including Md Rezanur Islam, acting editor of Daily Agrajatra Pratidin, over the publication of a report concerning State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam.
On Friday evening, Senior Judicial Magistrate Kamal Hossain of Bogra ordered that he be sent to jail following 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 editor and publisher of the newspaper. The case also names two to three unidentified persons.
The accused include Mehedi Hasan, publisher and editor of Daily Agrajatra Pratidin; Md Rezanur Islam, acting editor; Ashraf Ali Faruqi, news editor; Saleh Kaisar, reporter; Md Shams, Bogra correspondent; and Sabbir Hasan, Bogra district correspondent.
In the complaint, the plaintiff alleged that the accused intentionally attempted to damage the minister’s personal, social, and political reputation by publishing and circulating false, fabricated, and misleading information.
In June 12, a statement made by state minister at a press conference held at the Bogra Press Club was distorted and circulated on social media. The post alleged: “Claiming to have been a journalist, he now advises journalists -controversial state minister Mir Shahe Alam over the ‘road incident.”
Later, on June 13, ahead of the Prime Minister’s national visit, provocative, misleading and defamatory remarks targeting state minister were circulated across social media platforms.
Tanvir Alam said in the petition that the defendants spread the information deliberately without reliable evidence, damaging the reputation of the concerned persons and creating public confusion.
The case has been filed under sections 500, 501, 504, and 109 of the Bangladesh Penal Code.
Following the complaint and initial hearing, the court directed the Officer-in-Charge of 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 DB for investigation.
Bogra DB Officer-in-Charge Iqbal Bahar said a team led by the investigating officer arrested Rezanur Islam at around 11:05 pm on Thursday from the Board Bazar area of Gacha upazila in Gazipur district.
He is the son of Jalil Mia from Joydebpur upazila in Gazipur. After the arrest, he was produced before the court, which sent him to jail and set Sunday for the next hearing.
The arrest has drawn criticism from journalist circles. Staff reporter of Daily Agrajatra Pratidin, Shafiq Shaheen, said that while editors and reporters can be held accountable for defamatory content, acting editors are not typically involved in such editorial decisions.
He also said that such complaints could have been filed with the Bangladesh Press Council, but the complainant instead approached the court, after which Bogra police registered the case following court instructions.
Shaheen further alleged that Rezanur was arrested from Gazipur without a proper investigation and was not allowed to communicate with his family after detention.
He also claimed that Rezanur had earlier been under surveillance and that police had considered raiding the newspaper office.
Shaheen said they will seek bail for Rezanur Islam during Sunday’s hearing and expressed hope that the court would grant it.
