Sayedee's janaza: Police file cases against four journalists, others for clashes in Chakaria

Four journalists have been included in cases filed by police regarding the clashes that broke out in Chakaria, Cox's Bazar, over the gayebana janaza in Delwar Hossain Sayedee, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes committed against humanity in 1971.

Chakaria police station's sub-inspector (SI) Al Forkan on Wednesday filed two cases, against 151 named persons and 2000 to 3000 unnamed persons. One of the cases was under the Special Powers Act and the other was on allegations of assaulting the police.

The Chakaria correspondent of the daily Manabkantha, Abdul Majid, Chakaria correspondent of the daily Alokito Bangladesh and Purbodesh, AKM Iqbal Faruk, the Chokoria correspondent of Cox's Bazar's local Dainik Cox's Bazar Sangbad, AKM Belal Uddin and Naya Diganta's coastal correspondent AM Omar Ali were named as accused in these cases. Omar Ali is the Chakaria upazila Jubo Dal president.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, journalist AKM Iqbal Faruk said, "I have been working in this profession as a journalist for 25 years. I have never had to face such a disturbing situation. Political leaders are being accused in political cases, and now the police are dragging in journalists too."

General secretary of Chakaria Press Club, Misbaul Huq, said, "I condemn the four journalists being made accused by the police. The journalists were carrying out their professional duty. They were in no way involved in the incidents of that day. I demand that their names be dropped from the cases immediately."

Officer-in-charge (OC) of the Chakaria police station, Jabed Mahmud, told Prothom Alo that primary investigations point to the involvement of those four journalists in the incident. After further investigations if they are found not to be involved, their names will be dropped."

Cox's Bazar district Chhatra Shibir general secretary Musa Ibne Hossain alias Biplob has been named as the main accused in the two cases filed by the police. The accused also include Kutakhali union parishad (UP) chairman Abdur Rahman, former UP chairman of Harbang, Zahiruddin Mohammad Babar, Chakaria pourashava Jamaat member Hedayet Ullah, Chakaria upazila Jamaat general secretary Abdur Rashid, Chakaria pourashava BNP general secretary Abdur Rahim, former joint general secretary Nurul Amin and Chakaria pourashava councillor Abdur Salam.

In the case it was said that while taking part in Sayedee's gayebana janaza, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders hurled brick and stone chips, injuring five policemen including the OC. The vehicles of the police and the health officer were damaged. The accused paraded the streets with instigative anti-government slogans, creating obstruction to vehicular movement on the roads.