Assault on journo condemned

Journalists who had gone to the Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah yesterday to cover the practice match between BCB XI and England sent a letter to the Bangladesh Cricket Board president alleging that the BCB security coordinator had physically assaulted a sports reporter after the match yesterday.

BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury acknowledged the receipt of the letter and promised to look into the issue seriously.

Three sports journalists associations--Bangladesh Sports Journalist Association, Bangladesh Sports Press Association and Bangladesh Sports Journalist Community—condemned the incident through official press releases.

New Age's sports reporter Atif Azam was allegedly physically accosted by security coordinator Mohammad Ali. According to Azam, moments after a press briefing held by BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon, Ali pulled him by his shirt and dragged him aside to ask why the reporter was looking for his picture.

On Monday, Azam had asked for Mohammad Ali's picture from a BCB photographer to go with a story he wrote about security in the wake of the pitch invader who ran to Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

According to Azam, Ali asked in a threatening manner why he was looking for his picture, and to tell him if anything was being written on him.

In the report published on Tuesday, Azam questioned why former cricketer Mohammad Ali, who has no experience in security matters, was given such a sensitive position.

Ali, however, denied physically hurting Azam. Speaking to The Daily Star over the phone he said: “I cannot even imagine hitting anyone and when it comes to Atif, that's even more impossible because I have a very friendly relationship with him. The entire episode was a very light affair. I can't understand why he raised this issue. I am ready to accept any kind of punishment if I am proven guilty.”

This is not the first time that security personnel have assaulted a journalist. During the South Africa series in July last year, the BCB apologised for two security personnel assaulting a journalist at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.