Bangladesh News

Unidentified criminals mercilessly beat up the senior correspondent of The Daily Star in Bogra, Hasibur Rahman Bilu, and damaged his motorcycle yesterday allegedly for “reporting against the BNP.”
“Will you write again against the BNP?” said one of the attackers while beating Bilu.

Bilu has been undergoing treatment at Mohammadia Hospital in Bogra with severe pain in both his lower legs and on the back.

Journalists in Bogra staged a rally at the Bogra Press Club at 2:30pm protesting the attack and demanding immediate arrest and punishment to the persons responsible for it.

Witnesses said six-seven youths with bamboo sticks in their hands swooped on Bilu when he came out of the IFIC Bank on the Station Road at 12:30pm.

They beat up Bilu for several minutes and left him lying on the road. The attackers also damaged Bilu’s motorcycle before leaving.

No one dared to come in rescue of Bilu.

Bilu, who could not identify the attackers, said he also heard another attacker asking his fellowmen to shoot him. He, however, did not see any firearm with them.

A rally of the BNP-led four-party alliance was taking place on the same road. Witnesses said many of the rally-goers were carrying bamboo sticks and that the youths were among those who had been guarding the rally.

Alleging that the attack was a planned one, the journalists at the protest rally threatened to go for tougher movement if the attackers are not arrested within 24 hours.

Journalists of Rajshahi also demanded arrest of the miscreants.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Press Club President Shafiqul Islam and Secretary Anisuzzaman in a joint statement said the “vile and atrocious” attack by the cadres of the four-party alliance proved the party’s stand against democracy and freedom of speech.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) President Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul and Secretary General Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan, and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Altaf Mahmud and General Secretary Omar Faruk in a joint statement condemned and protested the attack on Bilu.

Rajshahi Union of Journalists (RUJ), Rajshahi Press Club, Rajshahi City Press Club also expressed their concern over the attack.