‘Identify the culprit, ensure punishment’

Fifty-two eminent citizens yesterday denounced the recent attack on Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), and urged the government to ensure justice.

In a joint statement, they called upon the government to identify and nab those behind the attacks.

"Such heinous attacks on the rights organisation is concerning and we denounce it," the citizens said in the statement.

They also placed a three-point demand, including the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators and their patrons through an impartial and fair investigation, and effective measures so that any hill- and land-grabbers, and river encroachers no more dare to make such attacks.

On Thursday noon, a team from Bela was attacked, allegedly by Chattogram city ward-9 councillor Jahurul Alam Jashim and his aides, during a field visit in Chattogram's Lake City residential area, where hills were razed for a housing project, according to the statement.

The team, along with journalists, first visited the housing project and later visited Kalirichara Khal, a waterbody filled up by grabbers.

"The attackers were carrying blunt weapons. Earlier, they blocked the vehicle carrying the team. Later, police managed to get the it out of harm's way," read the statement.

Signatories of the joint statement include Sultana Kamal, Wahiduddin Mahmud, Hossain Zillur Rahman, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Khushi Kabir, Hamida Hossain, Ali Imam Majumder, ZI Khan Panna, Debapriya Bhattacharya, Rana Dasgupta, Shamsul Huda, Zafrullah Chowdhury, Anu Muhammad, Shirin Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, Shahdin Malik, and Shaheen Anam, among others.

Meanwhile, police arrested a person for allegedly throwing stones at Rizwana's car. He was arrested from Chattogram's Bishwa Colony area yesterday.

The arrestee was identified as Abu Noman, 41, hailing from Akbar Shah area in the port city, said police.