A Number of journalists, including Dhaka Tribune photojournalist Mahmud Hossain Opu, have been attacked by the BNP activists during their clash with police in the capital’s Kakrail area.
Raju Hamid, publicity and publications secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists, in a Facebook post said journalists of Ittefaq, Somoy TV, Jamuna TV and Kalbela came under attack while discharging their duties.
He told Dhaka Tribune that they were collecting the names of the journalists who were injured during the clash.
Meanwhile, Kalbela reporter Rajsan Jani was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital after being beaten up mercilessly in the Kakrail area.
Kalbela's senior reporter Rajan Bhattacharya, who was with Rafsan, said Rafsan had his Kalbela's ID card hanging around his neck, but still he was beaten up.
“His entire body bore the marks of injuries. The attackers took away his mobile phone. He was taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital,”Rajan said.
Rafsan Jani said: "I was performing my duties at Nightingale intersection. I was near Bangla Tribune's Chief Reporter Salman Tarik Shakil. At that time, I saw some miscreants chasing two policemen and one Ansar member towards Kakrail and beating them. As I was recording a video standing on the road divider, two or three people came from the side and started chasing me.
"They were shouting 'journalist' and physically assaulting me. They use batons, sticks and other objects to beat me. There was no way to escape. When I reachedthe DIG office, they stopped chasing me," he added.
“Upon arriving there, I received assistance from Gazi TV journalists. I informed the office, and then my colleagues brought me to Dhaka Medical College,” he added.
Salekin was taken to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), and Rafsan was transported to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with severe injuries.
Doctors said Rafsan suffered some head injuries and had bruises on his back. First aid was administered.
Bangla Tribune's Chief Reporter Salman Tareque Shakil, Photojournalist Sajjad Hossain, and their Staff Reporter Jubair Ahmed, were injured in the incident.
BNP's media cell from its verified Facebook page recently issued a threat publicly “we are putting a tight leash on journalists: who are with democracy and who are with autocrats”
