A journalist of Somoy TV, Asif Hossain Siam, was injured during an assault by lawyers on Thursday at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka, while covering the bail hearing of journalist Manjurul Alam Panna.
Panna appeared before the court in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Shahbagh police station. When the judge entered, all individuals except lawyers and journalists were asked to leave the courtroom, and the attack took place.
Siam said: “During the hearing, the judge asked outsiders to leave. At that time, some lawyers tried to force a journalist from New Age to leave. I said, ‘He is also a journalist.’ Then one of the lawyers punched me in the nose and mouth.”
He added: “I immediately told the judge, ‘Your Honor, I have been attacked in your presence.’ Right after that, the attacking lawyer and several others tried to drag me out of the courtroom.”
Siam could not confirm whether the lawyers involved were representing the state or the defence.