Case filed against former AL MP for threatening journalist

Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury, the former member of parliament from Banshkhali upazila in Chattogram, allegedly threatened to break the bones of a journalist for publishing a news article.

Shafkat Hossain Chatgami, Banshkhali Press Club’s president and upazila correspondent of local daily Chattogram Mancha, filed the case in the court of Judicial Magistrate of Banshkhali on Thursday.

Shafkat Hossain’s lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Khan told Prothom Alo that the court ordered Banshkhali’s officer in charge to investigate the case.

According to the case statement, the former MP threatened the journalist on 30 June for publishing the news on an allegation made by upazila Awami League secretary Abdul Gafur that Mostafizur collected ‘toll’ from union parishad chairmen for constructing a party office at the upazila.

Gafur brought out the allegation against the former MP at a function marking the founding anniversary of the ruling party at upazila Sadar on 29 June.

Several news media reported about the allegation brought by the AL leader at the public event.

While the former MP asked the journalist over phone as to why he carried the news, he replied that he only reported the allegation the upazila AL general secretary brought against Mostafizur. Enraged, the former MP threatened to ‘break the bones’ of the journalist, as well as of Abdul Gafur.

Mostafizur was called for a comment on the allegation, but could not be reached. He did not respond to text messages either.

Mostafizur was elected MP from Chattogram-16 constituency twice in 2014 and 2018. He lost to AL’s independent candidate Mujibur Rahman in the last general election. The EC also suspended his candidacy just half an hour before the voting time on 7 January election for breaching electoral code of conducts.

He also hogged headlines for brandishing a pistol openly at a procession.