Agitation on for arrest of main culprits
Demanding arrest of perpetrators who led Thursday’s attack on four journalists in Bhuapur upazila, journalists from different media outlets yesterday formed separate human chains in Tangail.
One human chain was formed in Elenga Bus Stand area while the other was formed on Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge highway.
Speakers at both the human chains alleged that although five days have passed after the incident, Fazal Mondol, the prime accused, and his accomplices are yet to be arrested.
They warned of launching tougher agitation programmes unless Fazal and his accomplices are arrested within 24 hours.
On Thursday afternoon, four journalists were attacked by gamblers in Govindasi area of Bhuapur where the former went to cover a news event on gambling.
The injured journalists are Sohel Talukder, Tangail correspondent of private television channel DBC; Ashikur Rahman, camera person of DBC; Ovijit Ghosh, Bhuapur upazila correspondent of Daily Ittefaq; and Mohaimenul Islam, local correspondent of Daily Ekusher Bani. Two of them were injured seriously.
Sohel Talukder, one of the injured, filed a case with Bhuapur Police Station the same night, accusing eight identified and 30 other unidentified attackers.
Rashidul Islam, officer-in-charge of the police station, said till early Friday, they arrested four of the accused -- Samad, Salam, Ramzan and Razzak. The arrestees were sent to jail on Saturday after one-day remands of each expired.
Police teams were carrying out drives at different locations to arrest the other accused, he added.
HUMAN CHAIN FOR JAMALPUR JOURNO
Meanwhile, in Jamalpur town yesterday morning, speakers at a human chain demanded immediate arrest of all the accused who attacked and injured journalist Shelu Akanda on December 18, 2019.
The hour-long programme, organised by Apex Club of Jamalpur, was held at Dayamoyee intersection in the town where a good number of people including local journalists and rights activists gathered, reports our Jamalpur correspondent.
Shelu Akanda is undergoing treatment at National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in Dhaka.
On the night of December 18, when Shelu went out for a walk in the town’s Dewanpara area, a group of criminals led by Rakib Khan -- religious affairs secretary of Tangail district unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League and son of Jamalpur municipality Ward Councillor Hasanuzzaman Khan Runu -- attacked him with iron rods and broke both his legs, alleged the speakers.
Shelu’s elder brother Delwar Hossain Akanda filed a case in this connection with Jamalpur Sadar Police Station, accusing six people including Rakib and his father.
Four of the accused, including the councillor, are still on the loose.
Shelu is the key witness in a case filed over the assault on another journalist in September of 2018. Rakib’s father Hasanuzzaman is the prime accused in the case.
Shelu was attacked as he testified against Hasanuzzaman, said Shelu’s brother Delwar.
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