Repercussion of Friday's Attack on Journalists
Agitated locals set 50 houses of 'drug peddlers' on fire
Locals vandalise and set fire to dozens of houses allegedly belonging to drug traders at Sawdagorpara village in Hamidpur area of Ghatail upazila under Tangail district yesterday, apparently in retaliation for the drug traders' attack on three journalists of Ekattor TV Channel on Friday.Photo: STAR
Hundreds of agitated locals vandalised and then set more than 50 houses of alleged drug peddlers on fire at Sawdagor Para in Hamidpur area of Ghatail upazila yesterday noon after a gang attacked three journalists on Friday evening. The protesters at first blocked the Tangail-Mymensingh highway in the morning, demanding arrest of the culprits who swooped on the newsmen. Later they went to Sawdagor Para, on the border of Ghatail and Kalihati upazilas, and vandalised the house of the local drug trader Faruque Miah. After that, they also set on fire at least 50 houses there terming those as dens of the drug traders. Police from Ghatail and Kalihati police stations and members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) from Tangail rushed to the spot control the agitating people. Police fired 58 rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, sources at two police stations said. Two Fire Service and Civil Defence units from Tangail and Madhupur extinguished the fire at around 4:00pm. Locals said around 50 drug peddlers attacked three journalists of private television--Channel' 71. Identified as the channel's staff reporter Faisal Alam, Tangail district reporter SM Razzak and videographer Manzur Rashid Mamun, they were going to Sawdagor Para at 6:00pm on Friday for covering a report on drug peddling. The gang hit them with sticks and sharp weapons indiscreminately, leaving them injured. The gang also took away all the valuables of the journalists including their camera, mobile telephone sets and cash money during the attack. Locals later rescued the injured journalists and admitted them to the Kalihati upazila health complex. After the incident, Faisal Alam, injured staff reporter of Ekattor television, filed a case with Ghatail police station yesterday in this regard. Earlier, Ghatail police in a raid on Friday night rounded up 20 alleged drug peddlers at Sawdagor Para and recovered the snatched camera of the television journalists. Fazlul Kabir, officer in-charge (OC) at Ghatail police station, told this correspondent that they were trying to nab all the culprits involved in the attack on journalists. Zahirul Islam, officer in-charge (OC) of Kalihati police station, said they were assisting Ghatail police in this regard.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments