Chinakandi (Sunamganj) Correspondent:
A new controversy has arisen over the investigation into the case filed in the Chinakandi area of Bishwambarpur upazila bordering Sunamganj, involving the attack, vandalism and looting of houses by Nagorik Television district correspondent and journalist of Online Kaler News Mostafizur Rahman Babu.
After the incident, the police arrested a man named Selim in an intoxicated state and sent him to jail. First, Bishwambarpur police station investigated the case and submitted the charge sheet to the court. However, the plaintiff in the case, journalist Mostafizur Rahman Babu, alleged that the police station had intentionally conducted a false and fake investigation and tried to hide the real incident. He filed a non-disagreement petition in the court regarding this.
In view of the plaintiff’s application, the court handed over the investigation of the case to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). It is known that the PBI is currently investigating the case and is collecting new evidence.
The attack took place on the night of February 20 (Thursday) in the Chinakandi border area of Biswambharpur upazila. According to the complaint, local Hossain Kha (45), Munayem Kha (34), Furkan Kha (40), Alamgir (35) and Selim (28) along with some others armed with country-made weapons ambushed journalist Mostafizur Rahman Babu.
The attackers not only seriously injured him, but also vandalized his house and looted three lakh taka in cash, a Panasonic camera and a Vivo smartphone. The locals rescued him and admitted him to the Biswambharpur Upazila Health Complex in his injured condition.
Journalist Babu claimed that he had published an investigative report on the online Kaler News and was preparing to broadcast it on Nagorik Television. This was the reason for the planned attack on him.
After the incident, the local journalist community expressed deep concern and anger over the attack. They said that it is a big threat to the media that a journalist should be attacked so brutally for publishing a news story. They demanded that the real culprits be identified quickly and brought to justice.
Local journalists, including the plaintiff in the case, have questioned the way the police filed the chargesheet in the first investigation. They alleged that the police have taken a biased role to protect the real accused.
However, with the new PBI investigation, the journalist community is hoping that the real incident will come out and those involved in the attack will be punished.