EC's Nat'l ID staff beat journos

Two journalists were assaulted by staff of the Election Commission's National Identity Registration Wing in the capital's Agargaon yesterday after a project's deputy director allegedly claimed they required permission to go there for news reports.

GM Mostafizul Alam and Ripu Ahmed, reporter and cameraperson respectively of Channel 24, said they went there around noon to gather information over allegations that people were suffering when trying to make corrections on their national identity cards and get replacements for lost ones.

“When we were interviewing people, some staff of the office came and asked to turn the video camera off. This triggered an altercation,” said Mostafizul.

They, along with the office's security personnel, forcibly took the duo to the office of Abdul Bari, a deputy director of the wing's Identification System for Enhancing Access to Services project, he said.

“Without even talking to us, Bari started shouting and asking who gave us permission to go there for news report,” said Mostafizul.

A director (operation) of the wing, Mohsin Ali, hastily left the room seeing the chaotic situation, he added.

“At one stage, Bari asked his subordinates to snatch the camera...Around a dozen staff then started kicking, punching and slapping us indiscriminately,” he alleged.

The attackers snatched and vandalised the camera and their cellphones and confined them to a room for around half an hour. Later, Bari directed another official to shift them to another room and hand them over to police, said Mostafizul.

Later, a visiting election commissioner, Shah Nawaz, got the duo released and helped get back their possessions.

The duo said they got treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for injuries in parts of their bodies including the head, back and abdomen.

Abdul Bari was neither available in his office nor did he pick up calls on his cellphone for comment. Mohsin declined to comment.

Acknowledging the assault, Shah Nawaz and the wing's director general, Brig Gen Sultanuzzaman Md Saleh Uddin, assured taking stern action against the perpetrators.

Around a dozen people and EC officials have talked to The Daily Star about mismanagement and serious misbehaviour of staff at the wing, tasked with preparing and dealing with issues concerning national identity cards.