PUST correspondents Rahat Mahmud Khokon of Prothom Alo and Hasib Muhammad Tushar of Ittefaq were rescued by teachers and taken to the university medical centre.

The attackers also ransacked their room (number 303) at Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall on the campus.

The victims said the attack was carried out in revenge for publication of an Ittefaq report about the alleged corruption of PUST Vice-chancellor Dr Hannan and a Prothom Alo report on factional fights within the JCD (Jatiyatabadi Chhattra Dal), the ruling BNP's student wing.

Barisal Reporters' Unity and a forum for protection of rights of journalists of the southwestern region condemned the attack and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

Earlier on Friday, a journalists' convention at Barisal criticised the home minister for "repression" on journalists and branded them as enemies of the press.

Meanwhile, Janakantha's Pirojpur correspondent Shafiul Huq Mithu, who was seriously injured by alleged BNP cadres on December 29, was sent to Dhaka last Thursday after attackers threatened him following the withdrawal of his police protection. Mithu is currently undergoing treatment at Dhaka Pongu Hospital.

The public handed Russell, one of the attackers, over to police, but the other attackers are still at large. A case was filed.