Protest, Human Chain Held in Mirsarai Over Attack on Journalist.

Jwel Nag, MIRSAI, Chattogram. A protest rally and human chain were held in Mirsarai on Sunday, September 6, demanding the immediate arrest of those allegedly involved in an attack on journalist Kamrul Islam, Mirsarai correspondent of Mohona Television. The programme was jointly organized by two press clubs in Mirsarai at around 10:30am on the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway in Mirsarai Sadar, protesting the alleged assault and demanding exemplary action against the perpetrators. Speakers at the programme announced that if the main accused are not arrested within the next three days, journalists will stage a hunger strike at the Shaheed Minar on the Mirsarai Upazila Parishad premises and launch a series of tougher programmes. The protest meeting was chaired by Mahbub Palash, Mirsarai correspondent of Daily Jugantor and Daily Azadi. Among those who addressed the gathering were Abu Sayeed Bhuiyan, correspondent of Daily Purbokone; M Moin Uddin, correspondent of Naya Diganta and Manch; Biplab Das, correspondent of Daily Samakal; Raju Kumar Dey, correspondent of Bonik Barta and Bijoy TV; Rajib Majumder, correspondent of Daily Janakantha and Global TV; Nasir Uddin, correspondent of Channel S and Manabkantha; Mohammad Yusuf, correspondent of Daily Ittefaq and Sangu; and Shihab Uddin Shiblu, correspondent of RTV, among others. Senior journalists Hedayet Ullah Chowdhury and Abu Sufian were also present, along with journalists from various print and electronic media outlets, including Cplus, Boishakhi Television, Daily Inqilab, Bangla TV, Daily Gonokontho, Swadesh Protidin and Bhorer Dak. The speakers urged the administration to take immediate steps to arrest all those allegedly involved in the attack. They demanded visible and exemplary action within three days, warning that failure to do so would lead to a hunger strike and larger protest programmes. According to the journalists, the incident took place at around 10:00pm on September 2, when Kamrul Islam was allegedly attacked by a group of people while he was returning home from Kor­erhat. The attack was reportedly linked to the publication of a news report. The attackers allegedly assaulted him and took away his mobile phone, money and documents. He subsequently received medical treatment at the Mirsarai Upazila Health Complex. The journalist reportedly filed a written complaint with the police station on Thursday night, naming the alleged perpetrators and providing their addresses. However, journalists claimed that police had arrested only the fourth accused while the main accused remained at large. They subsequently organized the protest and human chain demanding the immediate arrest of the principal accused.