Bangladesh News

Journalists of Bogra yesterday gave the deputy commissioner (DC) of the district an ultimatum of 24 hours to arrest the criminals who attacked The Daily Star journalist Hasibur Rahman Bilu on Wednesday, a correspondent in Bogra reports.

Submitting a memorandum to the DC, they also demanded the deployment of law enforcers at the offices of local and national dailies in the town.

Meanwhile, journalists’ organisations across the country protested the gruesome attack on Bilu by holding rallies and processions in their districts yesterday.

The journalists of Bogra also urged leaders of the four-party alliance to refrain from spreading hatred of journalists at public rallies that provoke violence.

Bogra Press Club in a meeting decided to investigate into the attack on Bilu by a team of journalists.

Convenor of Bogra Press Club Mozammel Hossain Lalu presided over the meeting where district BNP President and Daily Bogra Editor Rejaul Karim Badsha, Editor of The Daily Bangladesh, also former Awami League lawmaker, Aman Ullah Khan also spoke among others.

On Wednesday, unidentified criminals mercilessly beat up Hasibur Rahman Bilu and damaged his motorcycle allegedly for “reporting against the BNP.”

Journalists of Bogra are feeling insecure fearing further attacks on them by BNP-Jamaat cadres, several journalists said. Most local journalists have restricted their movement to home and office.

A number of journalists of different national dailies and private TV channels in Bogra yesterday said leaders of a political alliance spread hatred of journalists at a rally in the town on November 3. They said since the rally, they have been fearing that attacks could be launched against them.

“Leaders of the alliance took a stance against journalists when different dailies started publishing news on corruption of leaders during their tenure in power,” a senior leader of Bogra preferring anonymity said.

Journalists’ organisations across the country yesterday protested the Wednesday’s assault on Hasibur Rahman Bilu, staff correspondent of The Daily Star in Bogra, who was apparently attacked by activists of four-party alliance.

Several journalists’ organisations brought out protest processions and held rallies demanding the people responsible for the attack be captured and brought to justice. They also demanded exemplary punishment for the miscreants.

In Dinajpur, journalists yesterday condemned the brutal attack on The Daily Star correspondent and demanded exemplary punishment for the miscreants involved in the incident, our Dinajpur correspondent reports.

Dinajpur Union of Journalists (RUJ) President Sharup Kumar Bakshi and its Secretary M Akram Talukder in a statement termed the attack “BNP-Jamaat alliance’s vengeance on journalists.”

They called for a journalists’ rally at Dinajpur Press Club in the afternoon today to protest the gruesome attack on Bilu.

They also demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. They said the caretaker government must arrest the attackers, as it has to prove that it is committed to eradicating violence.

Dinajpur Press Club President Chitta Ghosh and General Secretary M Golam Nabi Dulal also expressed their concern over the incident.

In Netrakona yesterday, journalists brought out a procession protesting the beating up of Bilu on Wednesday, our Netrakona correspondent reports.

The procession started at News Media Centre at Chutabazar and paraded a number of thoroughfares of the town.

The journalists held a rally in front of Netrakona Press Club following the procession. President of Netrakona Sangbadik Samity Shamolandu Paul presided over the meeting while General Secretary of Netrakona Press Club Mahbubul Kibria Halim spoke to the rally among others.

The speakers at the rally condemned the repression of journalists and demanded punishment for the attackers. They also demanded punishment for the criminals who attacked Niamul Kabir Sazal, Mymensingh correspondent of Prothom Alo, Babul Hossain, Mymensingh correspondent of Dainik Janakantha and Golam Mostafa, Mymensingh correspondent of Dainik Samakaal. Criminals had beat them up recently in Mymensingh town.

Khulna Union of Journalists (KUJ) yesterday condemned the attack on Bilu, our staff correspondent in Khulna reports.

KUJ President Mamun Reza and General Secretary Sarwar Ahmed Kajal issued a joint press statement yesterday demanding the arrest of the culprits and exemplary punishment for them after a thorough police investigation and a fair trial.

They said such an unprovoked attack on a journalist on his duty is enough to prove that freedom of the press was never secured during the BNP-Jamaat regime and it is still not secure.

President of Khulna Press Club Alhajj Liaquat Ali and General Secretary AK Hiru also issued a similar statement. They prayed for quick recovery of Bilu.

A meeting was held at Kurigram Press Club yesterday noon protesting the assault on The Daily Star journalist Hasibur Rahman Bilu, a correspondent in Kurigram reports.

Kurigram Press Club President Rabindra Nath Ray chaired the meeting while General Secretary Mominul Islam Monju and district correspondents of national dailies and private TV channels addressed the meeting.

The speakers demanded immediate arrest of the criminals and exemplary punishment for them.

Journalists of different dailies and electronic media in Pabna yesterday condemned the attack on Bilu, our Pabna correspondent reports.

President of Pabna Reporters Unity Shajiaul Islam Shibly, and several other journalists of national and local dailies and electronic media in a joint statement demanded immediate capture of the four-party activists who were involved in the attack.

In Sirajganj yesterday, journalists of several national and local dailies and electronic media condemned the barbaric attack on the staff correspondent of The Daily Star in Bogra, our correspondent in Sirajganj reports.

Sirajganj Press Club President Jakirul Islam and several other district correspondents of national dailies and electronic media in a joint statement said Bilu ran reports against corruption and that is why the miscreants tried to kill him.

They also demanded immediate capture of the criminals followed by a quick trial and exemplary punishment.