A journalist has come under attack while covering a clash between two groups at Kaulzani union of Basail upazila in Tangail.
Enayet Karim Bijoy, district correspondent of Bangla Tribune, came under attack when he was trying to take pictures of the clash on Sunday morning.
A long-standing dispute over a piece of land has been ongoing between a Hindu family and the Kaulzani union parishad, locals said.
On Sunday morning, a clash erupted when the locals, led by Kaulzani Union Parishad Chairman Habibur Rahman Chowdhury, protested when the Hindu family tried to build a house on the disputed land.
At one point, the two sides locked horns in a heated debate. Later, few men swooped on Bijoy, who came to the scene to take pictures and started to beat him mercilessly.
He was later rescued and taken to the Kaulzani union parishad office for safety.
Habibur blamed the police for leaving the scene when the clash erupted.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Bijoy said: "I went there [at the spot of the attack] after being informed by the chairman. I went there to take photos of the altercation. Suddenly, at one point, some locals gathered around me and started beating me. I managed to survive because I was wearing my motorcycle helmet. They [the attackers] assaulted me all over my body. I am in so much pain that I cannot even move.”
Meanwhile, Basail police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Billal, who was present at the spot, said: “There was tension between the two parties. The two sides started chanting slogans against each other. We were not here when the incident took place. Later, we rescued him [Bijoy] from the mob.”
Tangail Press Club President Zafar Ahmed and General Secretary Kazi Jakerul Maula have condemned the incident and demanded exemplary punishment for those behind this attack.
