Bogura, Bangladesh | June 19, 2026 — Police in northern Bangladesh have arrested a newspaper editor after the publication of reports alleging corruption by a junior government minister, Mir Shahe Alam, in a case that has raised concerns over press freedom and the use of cyber laws against journalists.
Acting editor Rezanur Islam of Daily Agrayatra Protidin was detained late Thursday in Gazipur and sent to jail by a Bogura court on Friday, according to local police.
The arrest stems from a case filed on June 15 by Tanvir Alam Rimon, accusing the newspaper’s editorial team of publishing “false, fabricated and misleading” information intended to damage the personal and political reputation of the minister.
The complaint alleges that the newspaper and its journalists distorted remarks made by the minister during a June 12 press conference at the Bogura Press Club and spread defamatory content on social media. Prosecutors invoked sections 500, 501, 504 and 109 of Bangladesh’s Penal Code, while police later registered the case under the country’s Cyber Security Act 2026.
Investigators say at least five other staff members of the newspaper, including its publisher, editor and reporters, are also named in the case, with efforts underway to locate and arrest them.
Press freedom advocates in Bangladesh have repeatedly criticized the use of criminal defamation and cyber legislation against journalists, arguing that such measures can have a chilling effect on investigative reporting and public accountability.
