Senior Photojournalist Attacked in Munshiganj Land Dispute
Photo Collected
Kabir Hossain, the chief photographer for the feature department of Prothom Alo, was critically injured in a targeted attack in the Sirajdikhan sub-district of Munshiganj on Tuesday. The assault, which occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. in the Dosarpara area of Latobdi Union, also left his younger brother, Takbir Hossain, wounded.
According to Hossain, the attack was spearheaded by Jahangir Madbar, the Ward 7 president of the local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Following the assault, the victim’s family filed a formal police complaint, leading to the immediate arrest of Jahangir Madbar.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The conflict stems from a long-standing dispute over a Lalon cultural center managed by the brothers. Eyewitnesses and family members report that following the fall of the Awami League government, Jahangir Madbar and local Jubo League leader Alauddin Madbar repeatedly attempted to seize the land to construct a brick kiln. Hossain stated that he had been under constant threat for refusing to pay extortion money or vacate the property, noting that the suspects had allegedly turned the cultural site into a site for drug consumption and harassment.
The violence erupted Tuesday afternoon while Hossain was repairing the fence of the cultural center. A group led by Jahangir Madbar—including his sons Towhid and Zahed, along with Alauddin Madbar, Shahriar, Sangram, Sahil, and Ahmed Madbar—reportedly descended upon the site with sharp weapons. Hossain sustained severe head and dental injuries during the attack. When his brother, Takbir, attempted to intervene, he was also beaten by the assailants.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The victims were initially transported to the Sirajdikhan Upazila Health Complex. Dr. Jahanara Akter, who attended to the pair, stated that Hossain’s condition was severe enough to warrant an immediate transfer to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for specialized trauma care.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Hossain recounted that the perpetrators had threatened to burn down the cultural center, comparing their rhetoric to attacks on major media outlets. He claimed he was targeted specifically for resisting their illegal activities and protecting the site from exploitation.
Sirajdikhan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Hannan confirmed the arrest of the primary suspect and stated that an active manhunt is underway for the remaining individuals involved in the attack. Meanwhile, local BNP leadership has distanced the party from the incident. M. Haidar Ali, general secretary of the Sirajdikhan unit of the BNP, emphasized that the party would not protect anyone using its name to commit criminal acts and promised that internal disciplinary measures would be taken against those involved.
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