3 reporters flee Kushtia facing 'persecution by BNP lawmaker'
Staff Correspondent
Three Kushtia-based journalists had to flee the south-western district last week and take refuge in the capital in the face of what they said were death threat from a local BNP lawmaker and false cases filed by him against them. Shahidul Islam, lawmaker from Kushtia-2, and his accomplices became hostile to them for reporting about their corrupt and criminal activities including extortion, monopolising public work contracts, and grabbing public and private property, alleged the reporters in a joint statement at a press conference in Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium yesterday. The persecutees are Daily Manabzamin Staff Reporter Hasan Jahid, Daily Shamokal Kushtia District Correspondent Munshi Tariqul Islam, and Daily Jugantar Staff Reporter Al Mamun Sagor. "We left Kushtia on May 10 and are now staying in Dhaka as Shahidul deployed a number of musclemen at various points in Kushtia town to kill us," said Hasan, also Kushtia district correspondent of satellite television channel RTV, while reading out the statement. Shahidul used to threaten and misbehave with them for reporting his corruption, extortion and mafia-like activities, the statement described. "Manipulating the local administration, Shahidul lodged a number of false cases against local journalists to harass them and their families. The police also raided their homes looking for them," said Al Mamun, adding many local journalists including himself could not carry out their professional duties fearing oppression by Shahidul. The lawmaker has the right to file cases against the newspapers for publishing the reports against him, but he has no right to file cases against the reporters, observed daily Bangladesh Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury at the conference. "We will welcome Shahidul Islam if he abides by the law," he added. Iqbal Sobhan issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the government to ensure security of the reporters, which, he said, is its duty. Journalists will launch a tough movement, if the government fails to provide full security for the Kushtia journalists, he declared. Kushtia-based journalists Munshi Tariqul Islam and Manjur Ehsan Chowdhury were also present at the press conference.
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