Outrage in Feni as journo produced in court tied by rope around his waist

Protests erupted in Feni after a newsperson was arrested in a ‘false case’ and then brought to court tied by rope around his waist, reports UNB.

The victim is SM Yusuf Ali, bureau chief of local newspaper ‘Dainik Adhikar’ and editor of online news portal ‘Feni Report’. He is a resident of Purbochandrapur union in Dagonbhuiyan upazila of the district.

M Shahjahan Saju, who stood for the victim in court, said Jahangir Alam Sarkar, former superintendent of police (SP) of the district, filed some false cases against four journalists, including his client, to harass them deliberately in 2019.

Later, he secured bail from the High Court in the cases later. Charge sheets were submitted against him. However, Yusuf Ali had somehow missed a hearing of one of the four cases lodged against him.

Following that, police picked him up from his residence around 1.30am on Wednesday and produced him before the court with a rope tied around his waist on Wednesday, which sparked outrage among the local newspersons. Later, he was taken to the jail from the court after the hearing.

Abu Taher, a senior journalist and a freedom Fighter, said that it was a ghastly act to present a newsperson in that way.

Advocate Laxman Banik, president of Shushanoer Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), said former SP Jahangir indicted the newspersons in the false cases.

“It is not lawful to produce a journalist before a court in such a humiliating way,” he said.

Mohammad Shahadat Hossain and Didarul Alam, president and general secretary of Feni Reporters’ Unity respectively, demanded action against the former SP upon investigation over the incident.

SP Jakir Hasan said, “We removed the rope after knowing about the arrestee’s identity.”