Information Commission to probe jailing of journo for seeking info
Bangladesh
The Information Commission has launched a probe into the imprisonment of a journalist "for seeking information from an upazila nirbahi officer (UNO)".
Following the publication of a report by the Bangla daily Desh Rupantar detailing the detention of its reporter on Thursday (7 March), the commission released a press statement addressing the matter.
According to the report published in Daily Desh Rupantor today, Shafiuzzaman Rana, the newspaper's Nakla upazila correspondent in Sherpur, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment by a mobile court on 5 March after he sought information from the Nakla UNO regarding the expenditure of numerous Jica-funded projects.
In its statement, the commission said it reviewed the report and instructed Information Commissioner Shahidul Alam Jhinuk to investigate the matter accordingly.
Journalist Shafiuzzaman Rana might have fallen victim to this circumstance as a result of his pursuit of information. Therefore, the Information Commission concurs that it is fitting to probe the issue under Section 25(4) of the Right to Information Act, 2009, the statement added.
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