DBC News Correspondent Saikat Ranjan Chowdhury Detained by Detective Branch in Rangamati

RANGAMATI — Journalists in Rangamati have alleged that Saikat Ranjan Chowdhury, the general secretary of the Rangamati Journalists Union and a district correspondent for DBC Television, was abducted by a team of plainclothes officers on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:35 p.m. in front of the Rangamati District Council office. Surveillance camera footage from the scene shows four unidentified individuals surrounding Chowdhury before forcing him into a waiting microbus. The vehicle, which had its engine running and turn signals activated, was seen departing toward the local stadium shortly after the encounter.

Local police confirmed that Chowdhury was taken into custody by the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in connection with an unspecified complaint. Rangamati Superintendent of Police Muhammad Abdur Rakib stated that he was notified of the arrest by the DMP, though he added that details regarding the nature of the allegations remain undisclosed.

The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from the local journalist community. Kamal Uddin, president of the Rangamati Journalists Union, confirmed that union members are actively seeking further clarification from the district police regarding the grounds for the detention.

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Confusion surrounding the operation persists, as Niaz Mehedi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of the DMP Media and Public Relations Division, stated that his department had no record of such an arrest.

Colleagues of the journalist reported that they had planned to meet him for lunch on Tuesday afternoon, but Chowdhury had informed them he needed to visit the District Council office first. When he failed to arrive at the meeting point, colleagues went to the office, where they found his motorcycle abandoned but could not locate him.

Chowdhury’s wife, Tushi Barua, expressed profound distress following the incident. She noted that she is currently recovering from cardiac issues and lacks local family support, leaving her in a state of extreme anxiety regarding her husband’s whereabouts and legal status.