Journalists Demand Justice Following Brutal Shahbagh Police Assault

In a resolute display of solidarity, media professionals gathered in front of the National Museum in Shahbagh today to condemn recent police brutality. The protest, organised by the Multimedia Reporters Association (MRA) and journalists stationed in Dhaka, follows a violent confrontation between police and activists of the Inqilab Mancha on Friday, which saw numerous working journalists deliberately targeted by law enforcement.

A Deliberate Suppression of the Press

The incident occurred yesterday at the Hotel InterContinental intersection. Victims described a chaotic scene where police officers, while dispersing protesters, turned their batons on journalists attempting to document the events.

Abu Saleh Musa, a multimedia reporter for Daily Jugantor, recounted the terrifying ordeal:

“I was broadcasting live on Facebook as police began striking pedestrians. An officer noticed me speaking into my phone and struck me with a baton, causing the device to fall. As I bent down to retrieve it, four or five officers swarmed me, beating me from behind.”

According to the MRA, more than 20 journalists, including a correspondent from Jamuna Television, sustained injuries during the hour-long skirmish.

Record of Casualties and Damages

The scale of the violence suggests a systemic failure in police conduct during crowd control operations. The following table highlights the impact of the assault:

“An Assault on the State”

Senior journalists have characterized the police’s actions as an attempt to hide the truth from the public. Ali Azgar, Special Correspondent for ATN Bangla, questioned the motives behind the unprovoked attacks. “It felt as though the police were trying to conceal something specific,” he remarked. “What are you trying to hide from the nation by silencing the media?”

Echoing this sentiment, Kefayet Shakil of Bangla Vision argued that the disrespect shown to journalists was an affront to the state itself. “When a journalist is tripped and beaten, it is not just an individual who falls; it is a blow to the Chief Adviser, the Information Adviser, and the very ‘fourth pillar’ of our democracy,” he stated.

Demands for Accountability

The protesting journalists issued a stern ultimatum to the authorities: identify and prosecute the officers involved in the assault or face a total boycott of all police-related events and press briefings.

Particular criticism was directed at the Information Adviser, a well-known civil rights activist. Protesters expressed deep disappointment that 24 hours had passed without a formal statement or a move towards accountability from the ministry responsible for the press.