A journalist covering city elections on Saturday was beaten allegedly by the supporters of a ruling Awami Leaguebacked candidate while he was taking photos of youths carrying sharp weapons and frightening voters at Zafrabad in the capital’s Rayerbazar.
The injured, Mostafijur Rahman Sumon, a crime reporter of online news portal Agami News, was admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital with head injuries.
His photo showing bleeding in his head meanwhile went viral in internet and the Crime Reporters’ Association Bangladesh protested at the attack on him and demanded justice.
The Rapid Action Battalion director general Benazir Ahmed visited the injured journalist and said justice would be done once he would be cured.
But, he claimed that he was injured during a clash between two groups of supporters.
Journalist Sumon, however, said he was attacked by the young supporters of AL-backed councillor candidate Md Hossain Khokon with billhooks and other sharp weapons.
He alleged that when he came under the attack, he saw police standing nearby but did not rescue him despite his repeated appeal.
Members of the procession, who were mostly less than 20-year-old, were carrying firearms, he said. ‘They pushed me on the road and beat me up as if I was a dog,’ he added.
‘I want to work independently. We are working for the sake of the country. We want assurance that we can do our job without resistance,’ he told New Age.
He got six stitches on his head.
Asked about the attack, the Tejgaon police division deputy commissioner Biplob Bijoy Talukdar said they were not sure in what circumstances he came under attack by whom.
Journalists, meanwhile, were barred from taking pictures by the police who were found in uniform but without their name plates.
They insisted journalists to get out of the polling station set up at the Bhasantek Government Primary School at about 11:30am while a number of voters alleged that the people standing at the entrance to go home as their vote had already been cast.
Special Correspondent Zihad Iqbal of Photo Bangla Agency was also beaten up while covering city corporation elections at Nikunja Jan-e-Alam School at about 10:30am, Ibrahim Sarker, a special correspondent of the agency, said.
He was attacked by Awami League activists when he entered the centre following information on irregularities, Ibrahim said.
Followers of AL-backed councillor candidate attacked chief photographer of Bangla daily Kaler Kantha, Sheikh Hasan, according to SM Azad, chief crime reporter of the newspaper.
Sheikh Hasan was attacked while performing his duty at Madartek school under ward number 4 of Dhaka South City Corporation in the morning.
Followers of councillor candidate Jahangir Hossain physically assaulted him and took away the memory card of his camera, the daily reported quoting Hasan.
Meanwhile, AL supporters snatched the mobile phone of a reporter of the Daily Star, Foisal Ahmed, as he was taking a video when AL supporters were forcing voters to vote for boat at Ideal School and College in Rampura after entering the secret voting room, according to the journalist. After a few minutes, they returned the phone and left the place.
While visiting Banani Bidya Niketan School and College in the afternoon, inspector general of police Mohammad Javed Patwary called upon his officials to take necessary actions regarding the incident without delay.
