A Dhaka court on Tuesday rescheduled the delivery of the trial verdict of Jamuna Television senior reporter Shakil Hasan's attempt to murder case.
Judge Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) set November 8 as the new date as the judgment was not ready.
Earlier, September 20 was fixed as the date of the verdict announcement. But as the judgment was not ready on this day, the court set the next date as October 18.
Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan, the plaintiff's attorney, stated at the hearing that during the four minutes of video footage that was captured on the camera during the attack on the two journalists, the accused Rahim, Jabbar, Zakir, and others were attacking. Additionally, the court had been provided with images identifying these defendants.
According to the defence attorney, Kazi Najibullah Hiru, the two journalists were beaten up by the business leaders when they sought money. But the accused did not call any business leader as a witness in court.
Shakil Hasan, the aggrieved journalist, claimed that the actual attack was on media freedom.
“I've been working on this case for a while because I want to demonstrate that when a journalist is harmed, justice is served. In many instances of harassing journalists before this, including the murder of Sagar-Runi, we have not seen justice served,” he further stated.
Reportedly, on November 6, 2016, senior reporter Shakil Hasan and cameraman Shahin Alam of Jamuna TV were attacked while covering the illegal polythene bag manufacturing factory at Debidas Lane in the capital. Shakil was doused in kerosene by the attackers who tried to set him on fire as they fled the attack by hiding in a grocery store.
Two accused were arrested but later released on bail.
