DU officers contradict report on assault of journalist

The Dhaka University Officers Association has contradicted media reports on the alleged assault of a university-based journalist by administrative staff on December 17. In a statement on Wednesday, the association said the reports were not correct.

According to the association, Bangla daily Ittefaq's university reporter Kabirul Islam Kanon, on the day of the incident, was filming different sections on the second floor of the administrative building without giving his identity.

At one point, he gave his identity and said he had the vice-chancellor's permission to do his professional duty but he could not produce any document regarding permission, said the statement.

His behavior was "impolite and suspicious", the statement said, adding, an officer took him to the registrar, who asked him to officially write for the information he needed.  Later, Kanon came back to the registrar's building along with an assistant proctor.

The assistant proctor mediated between the reporter and officials, but some time later Kanon came back with a group of people and verbally abused an officer and left the scene, the association said.

Meanwhile, the journalist in a written complaint said some staff assaulted him on that day when he went to the administrative building to verify allegations against the officials that they were always late to office.

Some staff suddenly attacked him while he was filming empty administrative rooms around 11:00am, according to the complaint.

Kanon, also a third-year student of mass communication and journalism, forwarded the complaint to Vice Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman, demanding punishment for the "attackers".