Dhaka, Aug 6 – Journalists’ leaders on Monday demanded the arrest and trial of attackers of their fellows while covering the students’ agitation during the last two days. The leaders warned that they would launch a united movement if the perpetrators are not held and given punishment immediately.
Leaders of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) made the demand at a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club.
BFUJ president Ruhul Amin Gazi said the journalists’ community would stage demonstrations across the country on Thursday if the attackers of journalists are held and given punishment.
Former BFUJ president Shawkat Mahmud, BFUJ secretary general M Abdullah, Jatiya Press Club joint secretary Elias Khan, DUJ president Quader Ghani Chowdhury and general secretary Shahidul Islam, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, journalists from different newspapers and electronic and online media held a human chain at Karwan Bazar intersection in Dhaka in the afternoon protesting attacks on them during the ongoing student movement for safe roads.
They formed the human chain around 4:00pm and demanded exemplary punishment of those who attacked the on-duty journalists during the student movement.
Speaking at the human chain, the journalists equivocally urged the authorities concerned to take steps for stopping such attacks on the media men for the sake of freedom of the press.
Journalists will not remain mum from speaking the truth in the face of such attacks, they warned.
Over a dozen journalists of different mass media came under attacks at different places across the capital in the last two days when they were taking pictures of clashes that took place centring the student movement.
Police and alleged BCL men beat them up with sticks, and brutally kicked and punched them. They also snatched their mobile phones and cameras and smashed those deliberately.
One female journalist was also molested by alleged BCL men in Jhigatola of the capital. – Staff Reporter
