Journalists Group Threatens to Boycott Jamaat-e-Islami Over Reporter Assault
The Multimedia Reporters Association (MRA) has issued an ultimatum to Jamaat-e-Islami, demanding the identification and prosecution of party members involved in an assault on a journalist within 24 hours. The organization warned that failure to hold the perpetrators accountable will result in a total boycott of all future Jamaat-e-Islami political programs.
The confrontation occurred Tuesday morning in the capital’s Dhanmondi 32 area, where supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami had gathered to mark the anniversary of the Awami League. Mahfuzur Rahman Shishir, a multimedia reporter for the daily newspaper *Sokaler Somoy*, was attacked while covering the event. Several other journalists sustained injuries while attempting to intervene and protect their colleague.
During a protest demonstration held later that afternoon in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh, MRA President Fakhrul Islam decried the recurring culture of violence against media professionals. He noted that journalists frequently endure physical attacks from both law enforcement and political activists, often followed by hollow expressions of sympathy that fail to address the underlying impunity.
While Jamaat-e-Islami leadership has publicly expressed regret over the incident and pledged to conduct an internal investigation to discipline those responsible, journalists remain skeptical. MRA members expressed doubt that such internal party measures would yield meaningful justice, suggesting that parties often prioritize the protection of their own cadres over accountability.
Speakers at the demonstration also criticized the lack of institutional protection for the press. Antu Mujahid, a multimedia journalist for *Kalbela*, highlighted the state’s failure to maintain security, noting that police officers were present at the scene during the assault but failed to intervene to protect the reporters.
The MRA emphasized that the assault represents a broader systemic issue and urged the media community to remain unified in demanding legal consequences. The association maintained that unless tangible actions are taken against the assailants within the designated 24-hour window, the press will treat the party’s promises of reform as performative and continue their boycott.
