Protests go on at Baufal

A six-member team of journalists from Patuakhali Press Club visited Baufal yesterday amid the showdown of the BNP cadres that forced most of local journalists go into hiding.

The visit followed lawmaker Shahidul Alam Talukdar's beating up Baufal newsman Monjur Morshed on Tuesday.

The journalists led by Abu Jafar Khan, secretary of Patuakhali Press Club, with some newsmen who had been hiding, visited the home of tortured journalist Manjur Morshed.

Abu Jafar opened the locked Baufal Press Club and held a protest meeting. Principal Aminul Islam, local correspondent of Ittefaq and president of Baufal Press Club, presided over the meeting.

Journalists of Baufal and Patuakhali Press Club said they would stop publishing news of Shahidul Alam Talukdar, lawmaker of Baufal, and local BNP until they apologise.

They also demanded immediate removal of Nur Muhammad, officer in charge of Baufal Police Station, for his partisan role and refusal to accept a case from the journalists.

The journalists warned of tougher programmes if their demands are not met within seven days.

Local newsmen again went into hiding following threats by BNP cadres after the team from Patuakhali Press Club had left Baufal.

Returning from Baufal the Patuakhali Press Club team held a protest meeting at Patuakhali Press Club condemning the attack.