Journalists attacked by Jamaat-e-Islami activists at Dhanmondi 32 during party protest
A journalist was assaulted by members of Jamaat-e-Islami in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area on Tuesday while covering a protest marking the 77th anniversary of the Awami League. The incident occurred near the residence of the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, where multiple political groups had gathered to prevent Awami League supporters from holding commemorative rallies.
Mahfuzur Rahman Shishir, a multimedia reporter for the daily *Sakal*, reported that the confrontation began when journalists asked speakers at a Jamaat-e-Islami rally to keep their remarks brief for news coverage. According to Shishir, a local Jamaat leader dismissed the request, stating that the journalists were not required if they could not accommodate the length of the speeches. When Shishir objected to the tone of the response, he said he was labeled an "accomplice of fascism," stripped of his identification, and physically assaulted by a group of party activists. Several other journalists attempting to intervene were also injured during the altercation.
Shishir was treated at a nearby private hospital and subsequently returned home. Following the attack, senior representatives of the Dhaka South branch of Jamaat-e-Islami reportedly reached out to the reporter to express regret.
Delawar Hossain, Assistant Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami's Dhaka South unit, described the incident as an "unfortunate event" stemming from a misunderstanding. He confirmed that the party has established a three-member committee, led by Dhanmandi zone director Nur Nabi Manik, to investigate the assault. The committee is expected to submit its findings by Wednesday, with the party promising to take internal disciplinary action based on the outcome of the probe.
The inquiry will examine whether Jamaat members were responsible for the violence or if external provocateurs infiltrated the gathering to incite unrest. Efforts to reach other senior party officials for comment, including publicity head Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer and Secretary Motiur Rahman Akond, were unsuccessful.
