DMCH interns assault journos

One of the six journalists who were assaulted by Dhaka Medical College Hospital interns when they went to the hospital to cover an agitation by the interns yesterday. Photo: Focus Bangla

Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) interns yesterday assaulted at least six journalists when they went to DMCH premises to follow-up on an agitation by the interns.
The injured are Banglavision reporter Rassel Hasan, cameraperson Uzzal Das, ETV reporter Mujahid Ahmed, and DMCH correspondents---Azimuddin Chowdhury of ABC Radio, Abaduzzaman Shimul of Sokaler Khobor and Kazi Shafiul Islam Al-Amin of NTV.
Al-Amin told The Daily Star that when journalists went to the hospital to cover the news, the interns swooped on them and beat them up.
Shahbag police told The Daily Star that police went to the spot after being informed about the incident.
The interns were protesting recent media reports published on July 19 regarding an incident where a senior doctor of DMCH surgery ward assaulted a patient.
According to the reports, Ariful Haque Chowdhury Ripon, who was injured in a road accident, was admitted to DMCH on June 29.
The doctor pulled Ripon off his bed, slapped him and discharged him from the hospital after an altercation between Ripon and a female intern over dressing his wounds on July 17.
On July 21, the interns staged demonstrations protesting the published reports. They also held the same programmes yesterday.
Following the incident, leaders of Dhaka Reporters' Unity and Crime Reporters' Association Bangladesh held a meeting with DMCH Director Brig Gen Mostafizur Rahman where the director assured them of investigating the matter.