Kushtia district Jubo Dal president Mohsin Ali filed the case against Manzur Ehsan Chowdhury, editor of local Dainik Andoloner Bazar and Kushtia correspondent of Channel-i, Rasedul Islam Biplob, editor of Daily Arshinagar, Munshi Toriqul Islam, Kushtia correspondent of Channel-1, Shamsul Alam Sawapan, Kushtia correspondent of Daily Amader Somoy, Samim Bin Sattar, Kushtia correspondent of Dainik Khabor, Zillur Rahman, news editor of Daily Arshinagar and Sheikh Ahmed Ali, Kushtia correspondent of Dainik Andoloner Bazar.

The Jubo Dal leader also brought a charge of attempt to murder district Jubo Dal general secretary Sahidullah Shahid seven months ago.

Magistrate KM Azadur Rahman accepted the case on Monday. He ordered the Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) to investigate the case.

In his complaint, Mohsin Ali said Sahidullah Shahid was his business partner at a construction firm at Thanapara in the town. Some journalists led by Manzur Ehsan Chowdhury equipped with firearms stormed into their office at about 7:30pm on October 10 last year. The journalists demanded Tk. 5 lakh from them. As he refused, the journalists threatened to kill them by wielding firearms, the complainant said.

Shahid paid Tk.50, 000 to them and agreed to pay the rest Tk.4.5 lakh within seven days.

The BNP leader further said the journalists attacked Shahid on the night of November 8 last year for non-payment of the rest amount. He said the journalists led by Manzur Ehsan Chowdhury attacked Shahid in front of his house at about 10:00pm at Girjanath Lane in Kamlapur in the town.

They stopped his motor bike and demanded the rest amount. At one stage, they fired several shots on Shahid and two bullets pierced his chest and abdomen, the BNP leader said. When the attackers left the spot, local people rushed to the scene.

On information, a police team went to the spot and sent the BNP leader to Kushtia General Hospital. Later he was sifted to Dhaka orthopedic hospital and returned home after two months of treatment, according to the complaint.

Soon after the incident, an outlawed party telephoned local journalists claiming responsibility for the incident. He said it was a revenge for tender manipulation by the BNP leader.

Police asked the BNP leader to file a case but he avoided it fearing reprisal. After some days, police filed a case and arrested two persons as suspects. They are Santo, 32, son of Jan Mohammad of the housing area and Jewel, 36, son of Hurun-or-Rashid of Thanapara area in the town.

Later, a Kushtia court granted their bail.

When contacted, the journalists said it is a conspiracy to prevent them from writing against corrupt practices and nepotism done by the BNP leaders during the last five years.

According to sources, BNP leaders and activists are filing cases against local journalists at random.

At least 30 journalists faced 'false' cases, five were tortured, three sentenced in 'fabricated' cases and four had to flee Kushtia in last five years.

Different journalist organisations here protested the false case and demanded its immediate withdrawal.