Journo’s family attacked in Shariatpur, pressure being created to settle the matter locally

A group of people carried out an attack on the family of a journalist over a trifle matter, breaking his elderly father’s right hand and injuring his elder brother.

The incident happened at Goijuddin Akan Kandi at Palerchar under Zajira upazila of Shariatpur on the afternoon of 25 May.

The journalist named Md Mahabub Alam, senior reporter (crime) at the Daily Sun, filed a complaint with Zajira Police Station on 29 May.

Now, the influential people are creating pressure on the family to settle the matter locally, said the victim family. They have threatened to carry out a fresh attack on the family and their houses if they (family) will ignore their words.

According to the complaint and locals, a storm uprooted a roadside tree which touched a power line.

Arafat Madbar along with some others was cutting branches of the tree though those should have been cut by the electricity supply authority.

The big branches of the tree were falling on the tin-fence of Shamsul Haque Howlader, 70, the father of the journalist.
Then, Abul Kashem, the elder brother of the reporter, requested Arafat several times to cut the branches keeping the fence safe.

But Arafat, at one point, became irritate and used rough words towards Kashem, and threatened to throw the chopper he was cutting the tree on him (Kashem), which led to a hot argument.

Then, Arafat’s relatives– Shahin Madbar, Mannan Madbar, Mahim Madbar, Shafiq Madbar, Shamim Madbar and some others—swopped on Kashem. When elderly Shamsul Haque Howlader came forwards to save his son, the attackers also assaulted him.

Later, the victims went to Zajira Upazila Health Complex, where tests detected that the right hand of Shamsul Haque was broken.

The health complex referred the elderly man to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, also known as Pangu Hospital, for better treatment.

Some villagers, who sought not to be named, said that the attackers and some other locally influential people have begun taking signatures from other villagers on white papers to defame the journalist family.

They said the attackers with their cohorts plotted to carry out a fresh attack on the family shortly if they will not settle the issue locally.

Journalist Mahabub Alam said that he will soon file a case with the police station.