Journalist leaders have condemned the targeted attacks on on-duty news personnel during the anti-government agitations since last month, resulting in four deaths and injuries to over 250 others.
Apart from a few media outlets, the protesters and ruling party activists are harassing and physically assaulting other journalists when they are identified at the protest sites.
Journalist leaders say they are being targeted due to negative campaigns on social media. They believe that the rumors on social media and want to see similar news in the media.
In Rajshahi, protesters attacked three journalists, including photographer Shahidul Islam of the Daily Prothom Alo, at Kamaruzzaman Square railway gate on Saturday. At this time, the photographer's camera was taken away, and he was forced to delete the picture.
Eyewitnesses said that the procession was taken out in front of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology at around 11am. Around 1pm, the procession arrived at the city's Kamaruzzaman Square. Photographer Shahidul Islam was standing on the railway gate next to the square and taking pictures. Then some people came from the procession and surrounded him and started saying: “delete the picture, give the camera”. When Shahidul Islam tried to delete the picture, he was hit on the head with a stick. He was saved because he was wearing a helmet.
The protesters also attacked a journalist named Khokon Chowdhury and a video journalist named Meraj Hossain in Police Lines area of Comilla city on Saturday. Throughout the night, people were spreading rumours of six deaths and over 100 injuries during the clashes. However, several journalists confirmed that there were no deaths and only six people were injured.
Talking to Bangla Tribune on the field on Sunday, a photojournalist said during the street agitations, all the actors—protesters, ruling party activists and law enforcers—targeted the journalists. “No one is in our favor. I ran away when a mob was asking me why all the media were against them.”
A female journalist was attacked in Dhaka while on duty. She was later released on the request of two people in the crowd, but the CNG autorickshaw she was traveling with was vandalized.
Meanwhile, a group of photojournalists were chased down and prevented from taking pictures in Shahbagh when the protesters were vandalizing vehicles. At this time, they were looking for journalists of three television stations.
Senior journalist Syed Ishtiaq Reza said: "It is the result of hatred spread through social media. A group is constantly spreading hatred against the media from home and abroad. It appears that the media can solve all the problems.
“Journalists have to follow some rules. But they think that journalists should do what people write on social media. This is also partly responsible for the political ownership of the media."
Journalist leader Sakhawat Hossain Badsha believes that the journalists have to face wrath due to the culture of some people in the media taking political advantage. He told Bangla Tribune, "Journalist leaders should come forward and cooperate so that the on-field journalists can carry out their professional duties without fear."
Editor of DBC News Zayadul Ahsan Pintu said: "The rate at which rumor producers are spreading false information has made the truth a lie. Therefore, the agitators think that the media is not giving the correct information. So, they consider the mass media an opponent.”
