Recording Video: 5 journos confined to AC Land’s office, threatened with jail

Five journalists were confined to the office of an assistant commissioner (land) in Lalmonirhat by some government employees for about 40 minutes yesterday following a feud over recording video inside the office.

The journalists alleged that Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (land) Abdullah-Al-Noman Sarkar and his staffers confined them from around noon to 12:40pm, reports our Lalmonirhat correspondent.

According to the journalists, the incident took place when Mahfuz Sazu, Lalmonirhat district correspondent of My TV and The Daily Observer, tried to record a hearing on land mutation at the office.

The staffers got angry over it and informed Abdullah-Al-Noman about the matter over the phone. The official rushed to his office and put Sazu in confinement, they said.

As four other local journalists went to the office to rescue Sazu, the official and his staffers confined them as well and threatened them of jailing, they added.

On information, Lalmonirhat Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) TMA Momin and some other newsmen rushed to the scene and freed the five.

Later, journalists staged a protest blocking the Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway in the town's Mor area for around 20 minutes from 1:40pm. They demanded punishment of the AC (land).

The protestors withdrew the blockade after Lamonirhat Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ullah visited them and assured them of legal actions against the offenders after an investigation and discussion with the higher authorities concerned.

Contacted, the AC (land) refused to comment on the issue.

6 JOURNOS ATTACKED IN PABNA

In Pabna, six journalists came under an attack by some locals while covering an incident in Rangamatia village of Santhia upazila around noon yesterday.

The attackers damaged and snatched cameras of the journalists when they were taking photos of a house vandalised over a land dispute in the morning, reports our Pabna correspondent quoting the victims.

Manik Miah Rana, president of Santhia Press Club, said when he along with five local reporters went to the village, some people obstructed them and snatched their cameras.

The journalists were given back their cameras before being forced to return from the scene, he added.

"After the incident, we lodged a complaint with Santhia Police Station. Law enforcers later detained siblings Nasir Sarder, 42, and Helal Sarder, 45, for interrogation," he said.

According to the complaint, Nasir and Helal had a long-standing dispute with their relative Toib Ali over a piece of land.

The attack on journalists happened when they went to the village to take photos of Toib's house which was vandalised allegedly by Nasir and Helal's men in the morning.

Shanthia Police Station OC Anwar Hossain said they were investigating the incident.