Assault on Journos: Minister's son sent to jail

A Pabna court yesterday sent Shirhan Sharif Tomal, son of Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif, to jail in a case filed in connection with assaulting four journalists in Pabna's Ishwardi on November 29.

Tomal appeared before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court and sought bail. But the court rejected his bail prayer and sent him to jail, said Goutam Kumar, additional superintendent of Pabna police.

Tomal reached the court in a car of a public prosecutor at around 12:30pm. Police tried to stop the car in front of the court but it sped up, hitting two law enforcers, the police official added.

ASI Shahed Hossain and constable Jahangir Hossain were injured in the incident.

Tomal, also the president of Ishwardi upazila unit Jubo League, along with 25 to 30 of his supporters attacked four journalists at Shahpur Natunhat in Ishwardi upazila on November, 29, the day before the arrival of the prime minister for inaugurating Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

The four -- Saikat Afroz Asad, Pabna correspondent of Somoy TV, Rizvi Joy, local correspondent of ATN News, Partho Hasan, DBC News correspondent, and Milon Hossain, camera person of ATN News -- came under attack when they were capturing videos of Tomal's men attacking his rivals' vehicles. The attackers also snatched laptops, mobile sets and cameras from the journalsits.

Later, a case was filed against Tomal and 30 others with Ishwardi Police Station.

Eight people have been arrested in connection with the attack.

Meanwhile, Pabna Sangbadpatra Parishad held a protest rally on the Pabna Town Hall premises yesterday morning. Journalist leaders demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers.

Journalists also brought out a protest procession from the Pabna Town Hall premises and submitted a memorandum to the prime minister and the home minister through the local administration to press home their five-point demand, including arrest of attackers of journalists and their punishment and ensuring security of journalsits in performing their professional duties.