Another journalist brutally attacked with hammers, rods in Bangladesh

Dhaka: A local newspaper journalist was seriously injured after he was brutally assaulted in Bangladesh’s Kushtia district on Monday, local media reported.

The incident unfolded in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia, where Firoz Ahmed, a correspondent of local daily ‘Daink Ajker Sutropat’ and joint general secretary of Upazila Press Club, was attacked with hammers, rods, and bricks.

This is the fourth case of assault reported in August amid the escalating violence against journalists in the South Asian nation.

Confirming the development, Officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station Mominul Islam said, “Though we are yet to receive any written complaint, we are working to bring the accused to justice after investigating the matter.”

According to the locals and the victim’s family, tensions began a few days back when the families of Firoz and the prime accused, Milon, got into an altercation over a scuffle involving their children, Bangladeshi media outlet UNB reported.

Early Monday morning, Milon, along with four to five others, reportedly ambushed Firoz on his way to the mosque.

Following the incident, the locals took him to Upazila Health Complex, from where he was shifted to Kushtia General Hospital.

Hossain Imam, resident medical officer of the hospital, stated that Firoz suffered serious injuries to his head and legs.

This comes a day after another local journalist and his mother were violently attacked by a group of miscreants in the Lalmonirhat district.

The victim, Helal Hossain Kabir, aged 32, is the executive editor of Alormoni, a weekly publication based in Lalmonirhat. Both he and his mother were kept under medical supervision at Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.

Last week, on August 7, a reporter working for a Bangladeshi daily was publicly hacked to death in Chandana Chowrasta of Gazipur district, just hours after he went live on social media to expose extortion from street vendors and local shops in the area.

The video of his murder went viral on social media, sparking outrage in the media community.

On August 6, another journalist was brutally assaulted by extortionists in the Sahapara area of Gazipur while probing allegations of extortion collected from battery-powered and CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers.

The 35-year-old victim, Anwar Hossain Sourav, was attacked in broad daylight, reportedly in the presence of police.

Bangladesh has been gripped with numerous unprovoked and violent attacks against journalists, as well as other sections of society, after the Yunus-led interim government assumed power last year.

Last month, the Awami League stated that as many as 51 journalists from the South Asian country have expressed their grave concern over the ongoing killings, torture, and harassment against media persons under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.

Additionally, the journalists have demanded an immediate end to harassment, justice for slain colleagues, bail for imprisoned journalists, and restoration of the Dhaka Union of Journalists’ operations.

IANS