TBS journo beaten by brick kiln owner for collecting info on illegal kilns

The Business Standard Staff Correspondent Abu Azad was attacked by a local union parishad (UP) member when he went to collect information on illegal brick kilns in Rangunia upazila in Chattogram on Sunday.

After being stopped, he was forcibly taken to the UP member's office at gunpoint where he was held hostage for one and a half hours.

Later, the UP member of Ward-3 Mohiuddin Talukder Mohan beat Abu Azad up and asked him to do anything "if he had the power".

The incident took place in the Moghachhari area of Islampur union of the upazila around 10am on 25 December.

According to the victim, he was taken under the instructions of Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of the Islampur union.

Abu Azad said, "I reached Moghachari on the Chattogram-Rangamati road around 10am on Sunday to gather information about illegal brick kilns in Rangunia. Soil was being lifted from the side of the road and taken to a nameless brick kiln. When I was taking pictures, local UP member Mohan came with five-six men and beat me after brandishing a pistol. I was then picked up in a white microbus and taken to Moghachari market.

"There they openly put a weapon on my head and beat me again. I was taken to their office and tortured there. They snatched my mobile phone, wallet and ID card. They also withdrew all the money from my bKash. Then they asked me for Tk50,000. I asked them to contact me on my office number later."

Azad said, "UP Chairman Sirajul Islam Chowdhury spoke to me on the phone at one stage of the beating. After knowing my identity, he told me that nothing will happen if such journalists [like me] are killed. Then they deleted all the pictures I took and broke my phone."

After being released, Azad went to Rangamati Medical and took treatment for his injuries.

When contacted, UP member Mohiuddin Talukder Mohan told TBS, "I went to bring the journalist on the instructions of Chairman Sirajul Islam Chowdhury. I went there and saw the chairman's men beating him. They broke his mobile phone. When I wanted to rescue him [Abu Azad] from them and bring him to my office, he refused. Later, he was forcibly taken in a car and brought to my office. He had no money in his pocket. I gave him Tk100 and sent him in a car. I have kept his wallet, debit card and his office ID card. Since the mobile phone is broken, I will buy a new one. I am sorry for the whole incident."

Islampur Union Parishad Chairman Sirajul Islam Chowdhury told TBS, "UP member Mohan called me and said someone was taking pictures of the brick kiln. The journalist was taken to Mohan's office. I spoke to the journalist using Mohan's mobile phone. I wasn't there. There may have been a fight if there was an argument. I will investigate and take action."

Meanwhile, Chittagong Union of Journalists (CUJ) President Tapan Chakraborty and General Secretary Shamsul Islam demanded swift legal action against those involved in the incident.

Expressing strong condemnation, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) executive member Azhar Mahmud said, "Torturing a journalist while they are performing professional duties cannot be done in any civilised society. On one hand, they are illegally operating anti-environmental brick kilns. Those involved in this incident should be quickly arrested and brought under the law. The journalist society of Chattogram will stand by the aggrieved journalist."

A case was being filed with the local police in this regard.