The latest incident took place on Monday when ruling BNP lawmaker Shahidul Islam's cadres attacked a journalists' rally in the district town and injured 25 journalists including former president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury.

The following day they attacked a newspaper office halting its publication but no action was taken by the government and the BNP against those involved in the incidents.

Shahidul, however, denied his involvement with the attacks on the journalists.

Meantime, the BNP high command will send a team to Kushtia to investigate Shahidul's connection with the incidents, sources said, adding that a show-cause letter will also be issued to him.

Commenting on the party's possible move, Shahidul told The Daily Star last night, "Let them come and see the situation for themselves. But no one has yet contacted me in this regard."

It has now become evident that the journalists who expose the activities of local ruling party leaders through their reports are certainly to face threats, cases and attacks or forced to flee as the lawmaker and his men are "very sensitive" to any sort of criticism no matter those are based on truth.

Another tool of the political leadership's harassment is letting loose extremist cadres against the media men. Encouraged by the politicians' technique, influential rich people of the region also unleash attacks on journalists whenever their activities are brought to public focus by press reports.

According to sources, 24 journalists of Kushtia faced 14 criminal cases, five were brutally tortured, three detained for long and four had to flee Kushtia for life in the last four and a half years. A political leader ousted a journalist from his land and captured it.

Shahidul, lawmaker from Kushtia-2 (Bheramara-Mirpur) constituency, filed an extortion case against three journalists -- Hasan Jahid of Manabzamin, Munshi Tariqul Islam of Samakal and Al Mamun Sagar of Jugantor -- on May 9 alleging that they demanded Tk 50,000 as toll.

One Azad Biswas, who himself is an accused in six extortion cases, filed another case against the journalists the following day. His brother Babu Biswas, a former commissioner of Kushtia Municipality, told reporters that Azad is maintaining good ties with the lawmaker.

After a local political leader filed a case against district correspondent of Ittefaq Zahurul Haq in 2001, he left Kushtia and could not go to his area for one year. He was tortured brutally and his land was captured by force, which he is yet to get back.

Shamim Bin Sattar, southern region correspondent of the daily Khobor, had to serve 16 months in jail as a college teacher filed a case against him after he published a story on irregularities in teachers' recruitment at Panti Degree College in Kumarkhali in 2003.

It has been learnt that a political leader made him file the case.

After an extortion case was filed against editor Monjur Ehsan Chowdhury, executive editor Halimuzzaman and reporter Orpon Mahmud of local newspaper Anodoloner Bazar in April last year, they had to leave the area fearing harassment by the police and ruling party cadres.

Local journalists said lawmaker Shahidul was behind filing of this case.

After unknown people set fire to the office of local newspaper 'Shikol' on May 13, 2004, its owner filed a case naming the persons involved in the arson. But the same lawmaker allegedly influenced to include the names of three journalists -- Monjur Ehsan Chowdhury, Halimuzzaman and the then acting editor of Dainik Kushtia Sanjay Chaki -- as accused.

Editor of "Shikol" Shakhawat Hossain Ibne Muyeen Chowdhury was arrested in April 2002 after the then NDC (nejarat deputy collector) of Kushtia filed a case against him. He was later released on bail.

A BNP cadre filed a false extortion case against Kushtia correspondent of Amader Somoy Shamsul Alam Swapan in July last year. Lawmaker Shahidul later at a press conference branded Swapan as an extortionist.

Influenced by Shahidul, Jubo Dal leader of Mirpur upazila Ibrahim Ali filed an extortion case against Editor of Kushtia-based newspaper Ajker Alo Gazi Mahbubur Rahman, reporter Jamaluddin Haidery and Shamsul Alam Swapan on July 16, 2005.

BNP cadre of Doulatpur Alam filed another false case against Ajker Kagoj correspondent Shariful in 2004 accusing him of woman abduction. The case was filed at the diktat of lawmaker Shahidul, local journalists said.

After they published report on Shahidul's cadres' attack on the motorcades of aspirant BNP candidate of Bheramara-Mirpur constituency M Khaleq, Manabzamin's staff reporter Hasan Jahid, Samakal's Tariqul Islam and Jugantor's Al Mamun had to flee Kushtia for a long time.

Bheramara based reporter Azad could not go to his area for one year for reporting on Shahidul's corruption. Armed cadres of the lawmaker ousted reporter Babul Ranjan Biswas on July 24, 2003 from his area after he reported an alleged women scandal of a local government official.

Cadres led by president of JCD's Kushtia district unit Abdul Muyeed Bablu and General Secretary Kamal Uddin beat up News Editor of Kushtia-based Ajker Alo for publishing a report on rape at Kushtia Aliya Madrasa in 2003.

JCD leader Kamal Uddin and Jabbar Milon led an attack on Jugantor's Kushtia correspondent Al Mamun in February this year. Besides, cadres vandalised the house of The Daily Star correspondent Amanur Aman for reporting on minority repression in Khoksha in May 2003.

SHAHIDUL DENIES INVOLVEMENT
Denying his involvement in journalist repression, Shahidul told The Daily Star last night over telephone that he had only filed a case against three journalists on May 9.

"I do not have involvement in filing any other cases or torturing or harassing any journalist in Kushtia," he said, adding that a group is active to tarnish his image to weaken his position before the BNP high command.

"I do not have any cadre group; rather the cadres of Khaleq [aspirant candidate for Kushtia-2 constituency in the next election] attacked the journalist leaders on Monday," Shahidul said.

Tuesday's incident of attack on Andoloner Bazar office is cooked up, he said, adding, "With the Andoloner Bazar editor, Khaleq is patronising and providing fund for running campaign against me.

"The editor of Andoloner Bazar instigated my worker Ibrahim Ali to file the case against three journalists in July. The FIR was drafted at the newspaper office," he added.

Meanwhile, Andoloner Bazar has not come out today for the second consecutive day over security reasons, the newspaper authority said.