Two Journalists Assaulted While Reporting on Exam Malpractice at Meherpur College Center
Photo Collected
Two journalists were assaulted and briefly detained at an examination center in Meherpur’s Gangni Upazila on Friday while reporting on allegations of widespread cheating during a Bangladesh Open University exam.
The incident occurred at the Kazipur Degree College center during the first-year BA and BSS English examinations. The victims, identified as Bangladesh Betar and Nagorik Television district correspondent Rabbi Ahmed and Dainik Khoborer Kagoj district correspondent Tareq Hossain, were reportedly attacked by students and faculty members who confiscated their mobile phones and broadcasting equipment before confining them to a room.
Rabbi Ahmed stated that he visited the center after receiving reports of irregularities. He claimed he witnessed students copying directly from textbooks in the presence of invigilators. As he began recording the scene, he alleged that college teacher Moniruzzaman Biplob and another colleague initiated a physical assault. Tareq Hossain corroborated the account, noting that the journalists had been investigating claims of institutionalized cheating at the center for some time.
Following their release, the journalists sought primary medical treatment at the Upazila Health Complex.
Moniruzzaman Biplob has denied the allegations of assault and cheating. Instead, he accused the journalists of attempting to extort money from the college administration. Biplob alleged that the journalists had threatened negative news coverage if their demands were not met, and claimed that the video recording was an act of retaliation after the college refused to pay. Tareq Hossain categorically denied the extortion claims, asserting that their presence at the center was strictly for professional investigative purposes.
Faruk Hossain, president of the Meherpur Press Club, condemned the violence and urged the district administration and the Department of Education to take decisive action against those responsible for the attack.
The Gangni police have confirmed that a case has been filed by Rabbi Ahmed. Officer-in-Charge Muhaddid Morshed Chowdhury stated that an investigation is underway. Authorities are currently working to identify the suspects involved in the assault and to recover the seized equipment.
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