Journalist beaten to death by ‘UP chairman’s men’
A journalist died yesterday, a day after he was attacked and injured allegedly by some supporters of a Union Parishad chairman in Jamalpur's Bakshiganj upazila.
Golam Rabbani Nadim, 42, was the Jamalpur district correspondent of Banglanews24.com and Bakshiganj upazila correspondent of Ekattor TV.
He died from his injuries around 2:30pm yesterday at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, said hospital's Deputy Director Jakiul Islam.
The victim's family and colleagues said that on May 10, a woman at a press conference in Bakshiganj claimed Mahmudul Alam, chairman of Sadhurpara Union Parishad, had secretly married her but did not want to give recognition.
Nadim and several other journalists published reports from the press conference. As a result, the chairman was enraged, they said.
Mahmudul, also general secretary of Sadhurpara union unit Awami League, filed a case against Nadim and another journalist under the Digital Security Act with Mymensingh Cyber Tribunal on May 17.
But the tribunal dismissed the case on May 30, according to tribunal sources.
Nadim, whose report was run by Banglanews24.com, came to know about the dismissal of the case on Wednesday evening.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Lalon Mia, Bakshiganj upazila correspondent of the daily Odhikar, who was with Nadim, said when they were returning home and reached Bakshiganj Bazar area around 10:00pm on Wednesday, an assailant hit Nadim.
As the journalist fell on the ground from his motorcycle, some others beat him up indiscriminately with iron rods, injuring him critically.
Nadim was taken to Bakshiganj Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Jamalpur General Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was moved to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.
Shahidur Rahman, a doctor of Jamalpur General Hospital, said Nadim was hospitalised with serious head injuries.
Meantime, a video clip of the attack has gone viral.
Talking to this newspaper, Nadim's wife Monira Begum alleged that supporters of Chairman Mahmudul attacked Nadim.
"After the report was published against the chairman, he had been harassing Nadim. He killed my husband. I demand exemplary punishment to the killers," said Monira.
Contacted, Mahmudul rejected the allegations and said he had no dispute with Nadim.
Mohammad Sohel Rana, officer-in-charge of Bakshiganj Police Station, said they have so far detained three people in connection with the killing.
Police are investigating it and the process of filing a case was underway, he added.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, Dhaka Union of Journalists, Dhaka Reporters Unity and Broadcast Journalist Centre sought justice for the murder.
BFUJ and DUJ announced a protest rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club tomorrow.
In a statement, Kamal Uddin Ahmed, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh, demanded punishment to the killers.