A police official assaulted a senior journalist and kept him locked into police custody at Rajpara Police Station in Rajshahi today.

Saidur Rahman, local correspondent of Bangla daily Bhorer Kagoj and general secretary of Rajshahi Press Club, was however released hours after his detention amid intervention of local journalists and public representatives, reports our Rajshahi staff correspondent.

Sub-Inspector Mahbubur Rahman of Rajpara Police Station was closed in connection with the incident.

Saidur went to Kazihata area around 12:00pm where he noticed a chaos and called the officer-in-charge of local police station to inform the matter.

Then, the OC of Rajpara Police Station informed him that they already know the fact and were trying to settle the feud between two neighbours over a building construction.

“As soon as I dropped the phone, the police official started hurling abusive words at me for making the phone call,” Saidur said adding, “At one stage, he started beating me and took me to the police station”.

SI Mahbub could not be reached as his mobile phone was switched off.

He was released from the police station around 2:00pm, said Hafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the police station.

The OC however denied any physical assault on Saidur saying, “It was nothing more than a verbal argument occurred between the police official and the journalist.”

Protesting the incident, local journalists formed a human chain at Shaheb Bazar Zero Point demanding removal of the police officer from Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.

Amid protest, SI Mahbubur was closed from the police station in the evening.