Journalist repression has become a daily reality in Bangladesh. Since the interim government took office, the country’s law and order situation has deteriorated significantly. Dead bodies are being discovered here and there, turning Bangladesh into a land of death. When journalists attempt to report on the current state of the country, they face severe repression. If news is published, journalists are brutally beaten, and losing their jobs has become an added threat.
On February 3, three such incidents occurred in Bangladesh.
Four Journalists Beaten with Hammers in Shariatpur for Publishing News
On Monday, February 3, at around 1 PM, four journalists were attacked with hammers in front of the district commissioner’s office in Shariatpur.
The injured journalists are:
Sohag Khan Sujan, district correspondent for Daily Samakal
Bidhan Mojumder Oni, district correspondent for News24 TV and Jago News
Nayan Das, correspondent for Bangla TV
Saiful Islam Akash, correspondent for Desh TV
The victims alleged that the attack was carried out by Nuruzzaman Sheikh, district correspondent for Daily Janata, and his associates. Among the injured, Sohag Khan Sujan was admitted to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital in critical condition.
According to the injured journalists and local sources, Nuruzzaman Sheikh is involved in a clinic business in Shariatpur’s Chourangi area. On January 28, reports were published regarding a patient’s pathology test and death at Sadar Hospital, along with allegations that medical officer Kazi Mohammad Elias threw away the patient’s prescription. This led to a dispute between Nuruzzaman and some local journalists.
Following this, Nuruzzaman published a report in an online portal in support of the doctor. On Sunday, an argument broke out between him and Sohag Khan Sujan. A mediation meeting was held at the hospital superintendent’s office, after which some journalists allegedly attacked Nuruzzaman. The next day, as Sujan was heading to his office, Nuruzzaman and 10-12 others attacked him with hammers. When other journalists tried to save him, they too were beaten.
A video of the incident has surfaced on Facebook, showing Nuruzzaman and his men hitting Sujan with hammers. When journalist Bidhan Mojumder intervened, he was also assaulted. Locals later chased away the attackers.
Sujan said, “I had no personal dispute with Nuruzzaman. He was threatening me over the report on the doctor. When I questioned him about it, he attacked me today with a hammer. I have reported the incident to the police in writing.”
Journalist Bidhan Mojumder said, “Suddenly, near the district commissioner’s office, Nuruzzaman and his men attacked Sujan. When we tried to help, they beat us too.”
Nuruzzaman Sheikh, in his defense, claimed that Sujan and others had attacked him first, leading to Monday’s altercation.
Palong Model Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Helal Uddin said, “We visited the hospital after hearing about the attack on journalists. No case has been filed yet, but legal action will be taken upon receiving a complaint.”
Four Journalists Attacked at Gunpoint in Lakshmipur
On the same day, four journalists in Lakshmipur were attacked by masked assailants while on their way to cover a land dispute. The attackers held the journalists at gunpoint, assaulted them, and fired shots that narrowly missed.
The injured journalists are:
Rafiqul Islam, district correspondent for Daily Khabar
Abdul Malek Nirab, correspondent for Amar Barta
Md. Alauddin, correspondent for Amar Sangbad
Faisal Mahmud, correspondent for Alokito Sokal
The incident occurred at around 4 PM in Goneshyampur village, Dattapara Union. The injured were admitted to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital.
According to the victims, the attack happened when they arrived near the dispute site. Around 8-10 masked men stopped their motorcycles and warned them not to report on the incident. When the journalists attempted to leave, the assailants held them at gunpoint, beat them with bamboo sticks, and took their mobile phones and wallets. Shots were fired at them, but they missed their targets.
Journalist Rafiqul Islam said, “The attackers were masked. They attempted to kill us and fired shots. They also looted our belongings.”
Dattapara police’s investigation officer, Jahangir Alam, said, “We went to the scene but found no one. We are still investigating who carried out the attack and why.”
The Lakshmipur Press Club’s general secretary, Saidul Islam Pavel, condemned the attack and demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.
Journalist Sajeeb Ghosh Dismissed from Daily Kaler Kantho for Publishing a Press Release-Based Report
In another incident, a minority journalist, Sajeeb Ghosh, was dismissed from Daily Kaler Kantho for publishing a report based on a press release from Muktijuddho Mancha. The report was critical of the interim government’s press secretary.
Sajeeb Ghosh was a talented journalist at Kaler Kantho, having written numerous lead reports. However, he was fired by the newspaper’s editor, Hasan Hafiz, who is allegedly aligned with the government. The report in question was based on a statement by Muktijuddho Mancha and was cleared for publication by the newspaper’s editorial team.
Despite this, only Sajeeb Ghosh faced the consequences, while the editor and executive editor, Haider Ali, were not held accountable. After the report was published, Muktijuddho Mancha coordinator Hasnat Abdullah made a Facebook post criticizing it, following which Sajeeb was dismissed.
Hasnat Abdullah had previously pressured Somoy TV to fire journalists, sparking controversy. The way the press secretary and Hasnat Abdullah are suppressing media freedom raises serious concerns about press independence in Bangladesh.