8 journos assaulted

Activists of ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party have allegedly beat up at least eight journalists when they were covering student protests in the capital.

The eight journos include Prothom Alo’s staff correspondent Ahmed Deepto, Associated Press (AP) photojournalist AM Ahad, daily Banik Barta’s Palash and freelancer Rahat Karim.

The injured journalists are undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the capital.

Witnesses and party insiders said activists of ruling AL’s front organisations Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and its youth wing Awami Juba League launched attacks on the newsmen while they were collecting news of attack on demonstrating students at capital’s Science Lab and Jhigatola.

Deepto said a group of journalists were on duty at Dhanmondi-1 where a group of agitating were demonstrating. At one point, a procession of BCL activists approached the students and chased them.

While the journalists started to run for cover, a BCL activist hit Deepto in his leg with an iron rod. “As much as 20-25 activists beat me up mercilessly,” he added.

He said his helmet was broken in the attack.

Sources said the attackers were activists of BCL units of Dhaka city north and Dhaka College and activists of Juba League.