The Dhaka University campus has recently become a hostile place for journalists, especially for those who are keen on reporting the ill-doings of the ruling Awami League’s student front Chhatra League leaders and activists.
It is not that the campus had ever been safe for them; just like many places else in the country, political activists attacking journalists is a common incident on the campus of what is said to be the best educational institution in the country.
Journalists say, because there is no effective opposition on campus who can stand or speak up against the “free-reign” of the ruling party students, the journalists have virtually become the opposition, resulting in the spike in hostility.
The latest incident was reported only on Monday when a group of Chhatra League men swooped on a group of journalists at Mall Chattar in the campus.
The reason: the journalists, who were playing a football match, did not want to accommodate the “political students.” At least 10 newsmen, who worked for various renowned media houses, were injured in the attack.
In the last one year alone, at least 20 journalists were assaulted and beaten by Chhatra League men on the Dhaka University campus centring disagreements over trivial issues; sometimes because they reported on crimes committed by Chhatra League men; and sometimes without any reason at all.
Although the university authority expelled 10 Chhatra League men in connection with the Mall Chattar incident, journalists say in most other cases in the past, the authority did not take any action against the attackers. That, they say, encourage these political students to beat up journalists again and again.
Moreover, it is often said that the high command of the ruling party’s student affiliate considers battering journalists as an “act of valour” and hence sometimes award such acts.
Masum Billah, Dhaka University correspondent of Bangla daily Samakal, told the Dhaka Tribune: “There is no political opposition of Chhatra League on the campus. Chhatra Dal, student front of the BNP, has been inactive for years. Even the student wings of the leftist parties who once used to be vocal against Chhatra League, now remain silent because their mother organisations are allied at the national level of politics. As a result, the journalists have practically become the opposition. They report on the crimes committed by the Chhatra League men and get beaten up for that.”
On April 14 last year, five journalists were beaten up because they were collecting information on Chhatra League men from the SM Hall unit extorting vehicles and roadside vendors on the Fuller Road.
The university authority identified 21 of the attackers and six of them were arrested by the Shahbagh police. However, a few days later they got released and no case was filed in that connection.
On November 16 last year, some Chhatra League men from Fazlul Hoque Hall unit were trying to extort money from a film shooting team. When Yamid Sajed, university correspondent of Bangla daily Amar Desh, tried to collect information, the extortionists beat him up.
After the incident, DU unit Chhatra League president and secretary apologised to journalists and promised to remove those responsible for the attack on Yamin. Even the DU proctor promised to take steps. Nearly a year have passed, but no action has yet been taken against the culprits.
Masum Billah said the administration had always tried to maintain peace with the Chhatra League. As a result, the culprits never get punished.
A student leader said the younger student activists – mostly freshers – were the most reckless. They are often told by their seniors to do whatever they want, beat whoever they want and establish a reign of terror on the campus so that nobody dares speak against the Chhatra League.
“It [beating up journalists] has become a political culture... As freshers, we learned from our seniors how to show power, be reckless and beat people. A few years later, we taught the same thing to our juniors... That is why, the young ones sometimes misbehave even with teachers,” said Saddam Hossain, organising secretary of the FR Hall unit Chhatra League.
However, the political students are not the only one to be blamed. Even they have several complaints against the journalists.
A joint general secretary of Chhatra League central command told the Dhaka Tribune: “Not everyone is a good journalist. Sometimes they publish news on crime without even talking to us.”
“For example, one day, a journalist called me up and sought my comment about my alleged involvement in a crime. I challenged him that if he could prove my involvement, I would formally apologise and give up my party post. Surprisingly, the next day, I saw the news in a daily newspaper and it did not have my comment.
“Sometimes, after a news item is published in a newspaper, we issue rejoinders. In most cases, those rejoinders never get published because of some ill-trained journalists,” the central Chhatra League leader said.
Some student leaders have accused journalists of showing “attitude.” They said there were some journalists, who thought they had a lot of power because they could get published in top national news media whatever they wanted.
Siddique Nazmul Alam, general secretary of Chhatra League central command, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have always tried to maintain a good relation with the journalist because we are like brothers. But some people with ill motives use the name of our organisation to carry out such heinous activities like beating journalists. They do this only to tarnish the Chhatra League’s image.”
He expressed great resentment and contempt over the past incidents and vowed to work for avoiding such incidents in the future.
Shirajul Islam, OC of the Shahbagh police station, said: “We cannot take action against anyone unless there is a general diary or a case is filed. Whenever we get any allegation against anyone, we take appropriate actions.”
DU Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, who is also a teacher of the journalism department, claimed that the authorities had always taken steps against those who beat up journalists.
