Police enter New Age office premises for ‘search’

Police last night entered the premises of English daily New Age, and tried to "search" the newspaper office in the capital's Tejgaon area without any valid document.

The law enforcers, however, backed off and left the office in the face of resistance from the journalists of the daily.

Some 15 to 20 policemen led by Salauddin, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Industrial

Police Station, entered the office premises at 8:20pm without any search warrant, said Farid Ahmed, chief news editor of the English daily.

As the policemen approached the reception on the ground floor, some of journalists asked them why they had entered the office premises, he told The Daily Star.

OC Salauddin told them that he had “serious information” and police needed to search the newspaper office. He, however, didn't elaborate despite repeated requests, said Farid.

According to an online report of the New Age, the journalists told the OC that they would cooperate with police if necessary, but he was very aggressive.

The journalists then asked the policemen to show search warrant and specify the reason for entering the office premises. But the OC, who was in plain clothes, didn't give any explanation and asked the law enforcers to search the office.

“Search every corner of the office,” he was quoted as telling his men. The OC continued to shout and threatened the journalists saying, “Are you out of law? Have you bought the country?”

He threatened the journalists with dire consequences.

The policemen videoed several newspaper staffs on their mobile phones, and finally left the office, said the New Age report.

Contacted, Salauddin said they went to the newspaper office on information that some Jamaat-e-Islami men were holding a “secret meeting” in the area over today's shutdown.

He denied misbehaving with the newspaper staffs or making any threats.