Three journos beaten up by ‘AL leader, his sons’

A local Awami League leader, his three sons and their men assaulted three journalists and broke a camera in ​​Panchagram area of Lalmonirhat yesterday evening.

The reporters were collecting information about an alleged abduction by Sultan Mandal, son of local AL leader Azizar Mandal, in Sakorpar village around 6:30pm when they were attacked, said Ershadul Alam, officer-in-charge of Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station.

Villagers rescued Abdur Rob Suzon of Prothom Alo, Anisur Rahman Ladla of Jamuna TV, and Mahfuzul Islam Bakul of Ekhon TV, and admitted them to Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.

Ladla's injuries were the most serious with a fractured bone in his left arm and bruises to his head and many other parts of the body, Medical Officer Wahida told Daily Star.

Ladla said the attackers took away his camera and broke it and hit him with sticks and iron rods.

Suzon said there were allegations that Sultan abducted a woman five days ago, following which his wife tried to die by suicide by taking poison.

The reporters were talking to villagers about the allegations when Sultan, his father Azizar Mandal, who is the president of ​​Panchagram Union AL, two brothers Shahed Mandal and Shahjahan Mandal, and their men approached the journalists and asked them not to report on people's "personal matters".

The men soon began to hurl abuse at the reporters and assaulted them, he added.

Contacted, Azizar denied assaulting the reporters and said he had tried to save them from being beaten up. "My sons will be punished if they had done anything wrong."

OC Ershadul said police were looking for the suspects and trying to recover the camera.

Matiar Rahman, general secretary of Lalmonirhat District AL, told reporters last night that Azizar will be expelled from the party if allegations of his involvement in this incident are found to be true.

A four-member committee has been formed by the district AL to look into the matter, he added.

Local journalist association leaders last night said they would demonstrate if the attackers are not arrested and the camera is not recovered in 24 hours.