Four members of the police have been closed to the police lines for their offensive misdemeanour towards a rickshaw puller and journalists in separate incidents in Barisal and Lakshmipur.
In Barisal, three members of the Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP) have been closed in the police lines on Sunday for reportedly assaulting two journalists at the Barisal University premises on Friday.
A probe committee has been formed on Sunday to investigate the incident and submit a report within five working days, said the office ofthe Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
The accused police personnel, Nayek Mohsin and Constables Kawsar and Jahid, all are from the Barisal University police outpost, confirmed BMP sources.
The three allegedly physically assaulted two photojournalists, Shafin Ahamed Ratul of Daily Desh Janapad and Nasiruddin of Daily Dakhiner Mukh, when they went to cover a coronavirus prevention and awareness program on Friday evening, said the victims.
"We went to shoot the program, organized by the UNO's office," said Ratul.
"But all of a sudden, the three policemen –who were accompanying UNO Mosharraf Hossain– started charging batons at us while we kept telling them that we are journalists," Ratul added.
After the incident, both the injured journalists say, they informed the respective news offices and the UNO about the assaults.
Mosharraf Hossain, UNO of Barisal's Sadar upazila, said he did not know about the incident till Saturday night and expressed his most profound concern and regret to the journalists.
"I will ask the concerned authorities to take legal action if the incident proves to be true," the UNO added.
Sahabuddin Khan, Commissioner of BMP, said both police and journalists are working together to mitigate this crisis of coronavirus in the city, and offered his sincerest apologies to the victims.
"We have already formed a probe committee to investigate the incident and legal action will be taken if the accused are found guilty," the BMP commissioner added.
In Lakshmipur, another policeman was closed at the police lines for assaulting a rickshaw puller and journalist.
The accused, Nihar Ranjan, ASI of Lakshmipur Traffic police, reportedly beat up a rickshaw puller on Saturday 12pm, local sources say. When district journalist of Somoy TV, Mahbubul Islam Bhuiyan, came to rescue the man and politely asked the ASI to let the rickshaw puller go, he too got harassed by the policeman.
Later, upon learning of the incident, Dr AHM Kamruzzaman, superintendent of police, temporarily suspended ASI Nihar and alerted other policemen not to act like Nihar or they will face consequences.
