JU journalists threatened to be kidnapped

Two journalists, also the students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) have been reportedly threatened to be kidnapped after they protested a fake report broadcast in a television channel on Friday. According to local sources, Mithun Sarker, Savar correspondent of private TV channel 71, threatened to abduct SM Russel Rabbi and Shariful Islam Shimanto on Friday,  JU Correspondents of Daily Prothom Alo and Bangladesh Pratidin respectively and the students of journalism and media studies department as they protested a report sent by Mithun Sarker on social media ‘Facebook’. Protesting the threat, journalists of the university formed a human chain on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway on Tuesday. They also submitted written complaints to the JU proctor office on Sunday. Source said on Wednesday afternoon, journalism and media studies department student Shafiqul Islam, also the JU correspondent of bdnews24.com came under an attack of a section of JU unit Bangladesh Chhatra League. Teachers, students, journalists, and media studies department along with JU Press Club formed a human chain on Shahid Minar premises protesting the  attack. On Friday morning, JU students found a news link of channel 71 on social media facebook which claimed that the teachers and students of the university had protested an attack on a journalist on June 4, the day of Union Parishad polls at Christian Community in Savar. Russel and Shimanto shared the link of channel 71’s report and criticised the news manipulation. Later, Mithun threatened Russel and Shimanto over cell phone to kidnap them. When contacted, JU proctor Prof Tapan Kumar Saha said: “Two journalists have submitted written complaints and the authorities will take proper steps in this regard.” JU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Abul Hossain on Monday declared Mithun ‘persona non grata’ on the campus and asked the security forces to take necessary steps. However, Mithun claimed: “There was a misunderstanding with my junior brothers but now we have come to an understanding.” JU Journalist Association (JUTA) also expressed condemnation and protested the incident of threatening.