A journalist was taken hostage at gunpoint while gathering information about illegal brick kilns in Chittagong's Rangunia upazila.
The victim journalist is Abu Azad, staff correspondent for The Business Standard's Chittagong bureau.
According to sources, a local UP member took him to the office at gunpoint and held him hostage for one and a half hours. Later, the local UP member put his visiting card in Azad's pocket and left saying “do something if you have the power”.
The incident took place around 10am on Sunday in the Moghachhari area of Islampur union of the upazila.
According to the victim journalist, Mohiuddin Talukder (Mohan), a UP member of Ward No 3, took him hostage by the order of Islampur union Chairman Sirajul Islam Chowdhury.
Narrating the incident, journalist Abu Azad said: “I reached Moghachari on the Chittagong-Rangamati road around 10am on Sunday to gather information about illegal brick kilns.”
He said: “When I went to take those photos, UP member Mohan arrived with five-six men and beat me up with a pistol on my head. Then I was driven to Moghachari market in a car. They put a weapon to my head and again beat me. Then he led me to his office where they tied me up.”
“They took my phone, wallet, and identification card, and withdrawn my money from bKash. They demanded Tk50,000 from me. Later, I requested them to talk to my office,” he added.
At one point, Islampur union Chairman Sirajul Islam spoke to him over Mohan's phone and said that killing a journalist won't do any help to them. They deleted all the photos and videos in his phone and broke the device. Abu Azad later went to Rangamati Medical Centre for treatment after getting released.
Chittagong Union of Journalists (CUJ) President Tapan Chakraborty and General Secretary M Shamsul Islam strongly condemned the incident. They demanded that those responsible for the incident should face swift legal action.
Meanwhile, Azhar Mahmud, executive member of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), condemned the incident, saying: “Journalists are frequently subjected to such attacks in various parts of the country. Torturing a journalist while he or she is performing professional duties is unacceptable in any civilized society.”
Meanwhile, when asked about the incident, the accused UP member Mohiuddin Talukder Mohan said: “I went to bring the journalist on the chairman's orders. I saw the chairman's men beating him. Later, I dragged him into the vehicle and drove him to my office. I have his wallet, ATM card, and identification card. Because the phone is broken, I will purchase it after receiving funds from the chairman.”
Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of Islampur union parishad said: “Mohan called me and said that someone is taking pictures of the brick kiln. I talked to the journalist on Mohan's phone and asked him to send it with car. I was not present there at the time.”
Rangunia Model police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mahbub Milki said: “We will take necessary action if we receive a complaint about a journalist beating.”