Journalists attacked in Bangladesh

June 7, 2011: Reporters Without Borders has condemned violence by political party supporters against journalists, especially photographers and TV crews, who are more visible because of their equipment.

Five journalists were injured in violence by ruling party supporters on June 5 in the town of Comilla, 100 km from Dhaka. Two days earlier, four journalists were attacked and injured in the western district of Kushtia.

According to various sources, the 200 to 250 thugs responsible for the violence in Comilla were members of the Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, the Awami League’s youth wing.

Pradip Dey, a cameraman with Bangladesh Television (BTV) who was hospitalised with serious injuries, told Reporters Without Borders that the men stormed a polling centre, scaring voters and polling officers, and then attacked journalists who arrived to cover the incident. The police made no arrests.

Besides Dey, the following journalists were injured: BTV correspondent Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, Dainik Destiny correspondent Zakaria Manik, Amadher Arthoniti correspondent Imtiaz Ahmed Jitu, and Delawar Hossain Zakaria, a reporter for the INB news agency.

Dey, whose camera was damaged by the assailants, was admitted to Comilla Medical College Hospital with a broken right leg, badly bruised hands and chest pains. He was threatened with reprisal if he talked about the incident.

The four journalists injured in the Kushtia incident on June 3 were Prothom Alo correspondent Touhidi Hossain, RTV correspondent Sheikh Hossain Belal, Ekushey Television correspondent Zahurul Islam and Ekushey Television cameraman Ahmed Sajeeb.

Hossain was admitted to Kushtia General Hospital with multiple fractures but doctors said his life was not in danger. The others were discharged from hospital after receiving primary treatment.

The incident took place at a heritage site in Shilaidaha, a village in the Kumarkhali subdistrict, where residents had complained to the contractor, leading Awami League member Ali Hossain, about the poor quality and slow progress of the renovation work. As the contractor reacted by threatening them, they referred the matter to the Kushtia press club.

A group of journalists went to the site on the morning of June 3. As they were recording interviews with site engineers from the archaeology department and the site’s custodian, and shooting video and still photos, they were attacked by thugs armed with clubs, steel bars and hockey sticks. Touhidi Hossain sought refuge in the custodian’s office but the thugs broke down the door, dragged him out and beat him with steel bars. Officials finally rescued him.

Police went to the site, rescued the three other besieged journalists and took them to the hospital for treatment. Two of the assailants have since been arrested and the police are looking for their leader and his accomplices.

Bangladesh is ranked 126th out of 178 countries in the 2010 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.