Three journalists assaulted by BNP supporters at Shariatpur Deputy Commissioner office premises
Photo Collected
Three journalists were assaulted at the Shariatpur Deputy Commissioner’s office premises on Tuesday morning during a protest rally organized by local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders. The victims alleged that the attack was led by Arifuzzaman Molla, joint general secretary of the Shariatpur district BNP.
The assaulted journalists are Zahid Hasan of The Daily Star, Bidhan Majumder, a district correspondent for News24 television and Jago News, and Barkat Molla, a representative for Manabkantha.
Zahid Hasan stated that he was covering the protest when Arifuzzaman Molla and his associates attacked him, attempted to snatch his camera, and were eventually forced to stop when local lawyers intervened and escorted him to safety. Bidhan Majumder reported being slapped and kicked by the same group while attempting to move through the administrative building to collect information. Both journalists have indicated they intend to pursue legal action.
Attempts to reach Arifuzzaman Molla for comment were unsuccessful as he did not answer multiple phone calls.
Tensions in the district have been escalating since last Saturday, when the Shariatpur district administration demolished boundary walls of the local press club without prior notice. Following the demolition, journalist BM Israfil posted a protest on social media, which resulted in a separate attack on him that left his right wrist broken. In response, local journalists staged a protest and human chain on Sunday, during which they surrounded Deputy Commissioner Tahsina Begum and demanded her withdrawal.
The local BNP leadership condemned the journalists’ conduct toward the Deputy Commissioner, characterizing their actions as “terrorist behavior” and an attempt to damage the government’s reputation. Shah Mohammad Abdus Salam, vice president of the Shariatpur district BNP, claimed the protest rally was held to condemn the journalists’ actions but denied knowledge of any physical assaults against media personnel.
Conversely, Nurul Amin, general secretary of the Shariatpur Press Club, condemned the violence as “unexpected and unwanted,” confirming that the club would take legal action regarding the incident.
Despite multiple attempts to seek comments, Deputy Commissioner Tahsina Begum, Superintendent of Police Raunak Jahan, and Palang Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shah Alam did not respond to phone calls or text messages regarding the security situation and the reported assaults.
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