A journalist sustained serious injuries in an attack allegedly carried out by Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal men in Kushtia Sadar upazila on Wednesday evening.

Hasibur Rahman Rizu, editor of Kushtia's local daily Satyakhabar and Kushtia correspondent for private television channel Asian TV, is now undergoing treatment at Dhaka Trauma Center. 

Witnesses said Rizu was heading towards Kushtia town after a meeting held on the 120-year celebration of ‘The Old Kushtia High School’ at Haripur village. He is the joint convener of the event organising committee.

A group of people led by Shipon, Murad, and Rajan stopped Rizu’s motorbike when he reached near Haripur Bazar around 6:30pm.

Shipon is the joint convener of Kushtia Sadar upazila unit Jubo Dal, the youth front of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He is also the convener of a fraction committee of Jubo Dal’s Haripur union unit.

Locals said Shipon and Rizu were at loggerheads over various local issues, particularly the latter’s journalistic role in taking a stand against drugs in the Haripur area.

Shipon and his men attacked Rizu with iron rods and sharp weapons. They assaulted and stabbed him indiscriminately.

As local people reached the spot to rescue the journalist, the attackers fled the scene.

Rizu was taken immediately to Kushtia General Hospital from where he was sent to Dhaka Trauma Center.

Kushtia General Hospital Resident Medical Officer Dr Tapas Kumar Sarkar said Rizu's two legs and wrist were broken. Besides, he received stab wounds on the fingers of both hands, chest, and head.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kushtia Model Police Station Sheikh Sohail Rana told the Daily Sun that they were conducting drives to arrest the attackers.  

No case has been filed yet.