The local journalists have put a human chain in protest against the threat to the journalist for demanding information about the accused in the attack and sabotage case while trying to collect news about the occupation of Savar's factory.Meanwhile, the speakers expressed anger over the attack and demanded exemplary punishment for those involved.The program was held in front of the Savar Press Club at Mukti Mor area on Thursday (30 May). The injured journalist is Aklakur Rahman Akash, a representative of English daily The Daily Star and private TV channel Nagrik Television, and Md. Md., a representative of Daily Desh Parwan and Daily Observer, who suffered threats. Omar FarooqJournalist Aklakur Rahman Akash was injured in an attack by miscreants while gathering news at a ceramic factory in Bhagalpur area of Savar municipality last Monday (May 26). Earlier on May 21, the owner of a ready-made garment factory in Rajfulbaria area of Tentuljhora union of Savar abused journalist Omar Farooq and threatened the police when he asked for information about the Jamaat leader's whereabouts and activities.
The speakers in the human chain said that objective journalism is under threat today. Journalists in the country are subjected to planned attacks at various times to collect news. It has become difficult day by day to highlight various inconsistencies in the society. If the guilty are not punished, the crime rate will increase. If the culprits are arrested quickly and exemplary punishment is provided, the miscreants will be afraid to commit new crimes. Law enforcement forces should conduct proper investigation and bring every criminal under the law.
Govinda Acharya, General Secretary of the Press Club said, "We have seen many cases and attacks on many of our journalists before." In this context, our colleague attacked Akash and seriously injured him when he went to gather information about the disturbance in the Bengal Ceramic Factory due to the dispute over the ownership of the factory. We journalists do not want to be factory owners, we went to collect information, do we have to be beaten for this? On the other hand, another colleague of ours, Omar Farooq, was abused by a factory owner and threatened to report him to the police for asking for information about a Jamaat leader. Asking for information is a crime? Are we guilty? I demand a fair trial of these incidents.
Press club president Nazmus Shakib said, we journalists are not criminals. It is natural that we go there to collect information for the news when a crime is organized. But if we have to go there and be attacked and threatened, then where will we go? We strongly condemn this incident and demand maximum punishment for the culprits. If the culprits are not brought under the law soon, we will go for tougher agitation.
It is to be noted that last Monday (May 26) in Bhagalpur area of Savar, journalist Akash was recording photos and videos after receiving a complaint of encroachment on a ceramic factory named Bengal Fine Ceramic Limited. At that time, 30 to 40 youths beat him and took away his mobile phone. After getting the news, his colleagues came and rescued the injured journalist and provided treatment. He is currently undergoing treatment at a private medical college hospital in the capital. The police have arrested two people in the case filed by the victim journalist.
On the other hand, on the other hand, on May 21, the officer of a garment factory named AKH Knitting and Dyeing in the Rajfulbaria area of Tentuljhora Union of Savar accused Abul Bashar, a fugitive accused in the case of explosives and sabotage activities, for conducting organizational activities inside the factory as well as organizing activities at his own residence. Hasan Mandal, a local resident, filed a written complaint with UNO.
When the assistant manager of the factory went to the front of the factory to speak about this, Rafi misbehaved with the journalists and threatened to watch. Later, the managing director of the institution. When Abul Kashem was asked over the phone, he also abused journalist Omar Farooq in unspeakable language and threatened to hand him over to the police and claimed to be powerful and asked to know about him from the OC of the police station. In this incident, the victim journalist made a general diary in Savar Model Police Station.