17 journos attacked by protesters
At least 17 journalists have been injured in clashes today and many of them were reportedly attacked by BNP men.
Md Rafsanjani, staff reporter of The Daily Kalbela, came under attack when he was recording an assault on a cop by BNP men at Kakrail's Nightingale intersection, he told reporters after taking treatment at DMCH.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The incident took place at Kakrail's Nightingale roundabout when the political gathering turned violent.
The protesters allegedly snatched Rafsan's phone and beat him with rods and sticks. At one stage he fell to the ground, but the protesters didn't stop assaulting him.
At one point Rafsan, who repeatedly told the protesters that he was a journalist on duty, ran to a 12-storey tower in the area where other journalists present intervened and rescued him.
At the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, his whole body was seen covered with purple welts.
Touhidul Islam Tareque, a multimedia reporter of Kalbela, was also attacked by BNP men while covering clashes between them and police in Nayapaltan. His phone was snatched from him.
His colleague Abu Saleh Musa, also from Kalbela, was beaten up by Awami League men, while covering their rally.
Another Kalbela reporter, Robiul Islam Rubel, was gravely hurt by a brick thrown at him.
BNP men attacked two reporters from Ittefaq Online -- Tanvir Ahmed and Sheikh Nasir -- near Kakrail.
The two were taking videos, when some BNP men approached the duo and asked what they were doing. Upon learning that they are reporters of Ittefaq, the men attacked them. Both had to be hospitalised.
SA Masum, a multimedia reporter of The Daily Inqilab, was hurt at the Bijoynagar clashes while he was taking photos of a procession allegedly carrying symbols of Gono Odhikar Parishad.
The procession was attacked by unknown assailants and the police dove in.
Masum was beaten by both the police and the protesters even though he was wearing a press card, said his colleagues at Inqilab.
The assailants hit him in the head, and he fell to the ground unconscious, where the assailants kept beating him. Masum was brought in that state to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The vehicle of two Ekushey TV journalists -- Touhidur Rahman and Arifur Rahman -- was stopped on top of a flyover. They were driven out of the car, their camera was thrown down below, and their vehicle was set on fire.
Two more photojournalists of The Daily Kaler Kontho, department in-charge Sheikh Hasan Ali and staff photographer Lutfar, were beaten up while covering a clash between AL and BNP in front of the Chief Justice's house.
A journalist of The Daiy New Age, Ahammed Foyez, sustained rubber bullet injuries to his head.
One journalist of Desh Rupantor, Arifur Rahman Rabbi, was hit on the hand, and sustained minor injuries.
One journalist of The Daily Bhorer Kagoj Masud Parvez Anis was attacked by BNP men in front of Notre Dame College.
Three journalists of Bangla Tribune, including its chief reporter Salman Tareque Shakil, photographer Sajjad Hossain and reporter Jobayer Ahmed sustained injuries while being jostled about in the crowd. They all fell to the street during clashes and were trampled.
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists issued a statement decrying the attacks on journalists.
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