Newsmen beaten at PSTU for 'one- sided, negative news', JCD leaders say

The VC, Dr. A K M Hannan Bhuiyan, however contradicted a part of the reports published.

They talked to a team of journalists from Barisal, which visited the PSTU campus.

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Ittefaq correspondent Hasib Md. Tushar and Prothom Alo correspondent Rahat Mahmud, beaten by some JCD (Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal) activists are now being treated at the PSTU Medical Centre.

Maniruzzaman Prince, JCD Senior Vice President at PSTU and Joint Secretary Rohen Akter Munna said the two journalists were beaten as they sent "only one sided, negative and false news, avoiding all positive activities of our organization".

They however said the attackers took the opportunity of JCD's factional feud and its anti-hartal rally on the campus on that day (Saturday).

But G M Jahangir Kabir, JCD organizing secretary at PSTU who belong to the faction led by JCD President Hiron said, "When our group brought out an anti-hartal procession, then the opponent group led by Prince attacked us and beat the journalists".

Factional clash should not be reported, he said.

The VC said, "Both of them (the two correspondents) are good boys and meritorious students".

He said he does not mind if they (the two correspondents) do not send any "positive news".

He said the published report said that newly appointed PSTU staff who are from districts other than Patuakhali were facing obstruction in their official work. This is not correct.

The newly appointed 12 staff have already joined and doing their official work.

Only two of them are from his home district Comilla, six from Patuakhali (recommended by the Home Minister) and the rest four are from other districts, the VC said.

On Sunday, some outsiders entered the campus forcibly and gave him a memorandum protesting appointment of people from outside Patuakhali, the VC said.

He tried but failed to contact the Home Minister to discuss the matter. Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury is from Patuakhali.

The newsmen team also visited the two journalists at the medical centre. They said they do not feel secure there and want to go Barisal for better treatment. But the authorities did not make any arrangement.

Rahat said his application to the PSTU authorities for filing a case in connection with the incident was ignored.

Meanwhile, sources said the Home Minister and other ruling party leaders in Patuakhali were annoyed at the attack on journalist at PSTU within 24 hours of a regional convention of journalists against repression on them.

They have asked the local administration and party unit to probe the matter and identify the attackers, the sources said.