DRU condemns attack on journalist’s family in Shariatpur

The Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) has strongly condemned last week’s violent attack by miscreants on the family of a journalist at a village in Zajira upazila, Shariatpur.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the DRU also expressed grave concerns at the culprits’ alleged use of intimidation to prevent legal action against them by the family of Daily Sun Senior Reporter Mahbub Alam.

The DRU called on the law enforcers to bring to book all the perpetrators involved in the violence, and ensure security for the affected family.

The DRU hopes the family would get justice following a swift and objective investigation against the accused, read the statement jointly issued by DRU President Abu Saleh Akon and General Secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel.

As per the statement, Shamsul Haque Howlader, 70, the father of journalist Mahbub Alam, suffered a fracture on his right hand due to the attack carried out on 25 May. Mahbub’s elder brother, Abul Kashem, was also badly injured in the violence.

A complaint has been lodged with the Zajira Police Station in this regard, but the criminals are threatening a repeat of violence should the victims file a lawsuit as well.

Mahbub Alam has confirmed he would soon file a lawsuit ignoring the intimidation.

According to the police complaint and locals, the incident happened at Goyejuddin Akan Kandi village at Palerchar union under Zajira upazila of Shariatpur on the afternoon of 25 May.

Earlier, a storm had uprooted a roadside tree and it fell on a power line near the house of Shamsul Haque Howlader.

As per law, the local power supply authorities were supposed to cut the branches of the tree and clear the site of debris.

However, Shamim Madbar, the organisational secretary of the banned Swecchasebak League’s Palerchar union unit, Shahin Madbar, Arafat Madbar and their supporters started cutting the branches themselves.

Notably, as per locals, Shahin Madbar and Shamim Madbar were already implicated in a case for allegedly snatching a suspect from police custody after beating police personnel.

Some of the branches they were cutting were touching and falling on the tin-made fence of the house of Shamsul Haque Howlader.

Sensing potential damage to the fence, Shamsul Haque’s eldest son, Abul Kashem, repeatedly requested Arafat Madbar to cut the branches carefully so as to avoid harming the fence.

But Arafat, at one point, became irritated and used rough words against Kashem. He also threatened to throw the machete he was cutting the tree with at Kashem, which led to a heated argument.

Then, Arafat’s relatives-- Shahin Madbar, Mannan Madbar, Mahim Madbar, Shafiq Madbar, Shamim Madbar and some others—swopped on Kashem.

When elderly Shamsul Haque Howlader came forwards to save his son, the attackers also assaulted him.

Later, the victims went to Zajira Upazila Health Complex.

After diagnosis, the health complex referred the elderly man to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, also known as Pangu Hospital, for better treatment.

Some villagers, who sought not to be named, said that the attackers and some other locally influential people had begun taking signatures from other villagers on white papers to defame the journalist’s family.

They said the attackers with their cohorts were also plotting to carry out a fresh attack on the family soon if they kept refusing offers to settle the issue through local and unofficial mediators.