Sadhurpara Union Chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu planned to attack journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim out of personal grudge for publishing a report against him, according to Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
The UP chairman wanted to teach the journalist a lesson for publicising his various misdeeds including his illicit relations with a woman.
Accordingly, on the day of the incident, the attack was carried out with his own men.
At the time of the attack, he was staying near the scene and giving instructions, said Rab Legal and Media Wing Director Commander Khandaker Al Moin in a press conference at the Rab's Media Centre on Saturday evening.
Khandaker Al Moin said: "Journalist Nadim recently published several reports on the online portal about various misdeeds of Babu. After the publication of the report, Babu became enraged and threatened Nadim in various ways and filed a case against him under the Digital Security Act. Later the Cyber Tribunal of Mymensingh dismissed the case.”
As the victim Nadim posted a status on Facebook about the dismissal of the case, Babu became even more vengeful and planned to teach him a good lesson, he said at the briefing.
The RAB official said: "According to the previous plan, around 10pm on June 14 (Wednesday), when the victim journalist Nadim, on his way back home, Babu and his terrorists went to a secluded place. When journalist Nadim along with his colleagues reached the spot on a motorcycle, Babu's terrorists pushed him off the moving motorcycle. Later, some other men came running from behind and beat him up, dragged him to a dark side alley and kept hitting him.”
The RAB official said that at that time, the main accused, Chairman Babu, led the entire incident from near the spot.
When journalist Nadim's colleague tried to save him, Babu's men also beat him up. At one stage, hearing the screams of the victim Nadim, the locals came forward and Babu and his followers quickly fled from the spot.
Earlier, RAB arrested Sadhurpara UP Chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu, the alleged mastermind in the killing of Jamalpur journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim, Debiganj in Panchagarh.
Nadim's wife, Monira Begum, filed a case at the Bokshiganj police station against 22 individuals, accusing them of involvement in her husband's murder on Saturday.
Sadhurpara UP Chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu is the principal accused.
Before this, the Awami League temporarily suspended Mahmudul Alam Babu from the party.
Nadim, a Jamalpur district correspondent for Banglanews24.com, died on Thursday while receiving treatment, following an attack by unidentified assailants in Bokshiganj on June 14.
To date, 14 individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder of the journalist.
The detainees are said to be followers of Sadhurpara UP Chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu.
