(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 20 April 2001 Media Watch press release: Newspaper office attacked, journalist assaulted The daily PURBOKONE office in the port city of Chittagaong was attacked last night (19 April) and two senior journalists of the paper were assaulted by terrorists. A group of terrorists led by the ward commissioner […]
(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 20 April 2001 Media Watch press release:
Newspaper office attacked, journalist assaulted
The daily PURBOKONE office in the port city of Chittagaong was attacked last night (19 April) and two senior journalists of the paper were assaulted by terrorists. A group of terrorists led by the ward commissioner of the Chittagaong City Corporation, Mamunur Rashid Mamun, entered the Purbokone office around midnight and started shouting about a published news item against him. Two journalists, Cheif sub-editor Eskander Ali Chowdhury and Reading in-charge Jalal Uddin Chowdhury, tried to stop them. The terrorist group assaulted the two journalists and brought them from the first floor of the office to the main street at gunpoint. The group warned the newspaper authorities not to publish any news against them in the future. They stayed at the newspaper offices for one and a half hours and took control of the office. After their departure, Purbokone authorities filed a case at the local Panchlaish police station. The local journalists’ union demanded the arrest of the criminals within 24 hours.
Sources said that Commissioner Mamun is one of the local leaders of the ruling party. He is a very well known terrorist of the city. Several cases have been filed against him.
A case under the Public Safety Act (PSA) has been lodged with Panchlish police in connection with the attack on journalists and other employees of the daily Purbokone. Mamun was named as the main party accused in the case. The case was filed by injured journalist Iskander Ali Chowdhury. At the time of the filing of the report, no one had been arrested in connection with the incident. The miscreants also threatened the journalists and employees of the daily over the phone, Purbokone sources said. Meanwhile, in separate statements, leaders of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), the Chittagong Union of the Journalists (CUJ) and the Press Club demanded the immediate arrest of Ward Commissioner Mamun and an exemplary punishment, to stop re-occurences of such behaviour. Moreover, as part of a seven-day action programme, yesterday local dailies blanked a four-inch space on their front pages in protest against the incident.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– urging them to take immediate action against those responsible for the attack on the newspaper and the assault and threats against the journalists
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:Honourable Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister
Fax: +88 02 811 1015 / 811 3244Honourable Mohd. Nasim
Home Minister
Fax: +88 02 861 9667Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
