Shibir attacked Journalists

Fundamentalist Jamaat's student from Islami Chatra Shibir groups beat four journalists when they were covering a news report in Rajshahi University. Read this story from Daily Star published on August 7, 2007:

The provost of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall of Rajshahi University (RU) yesterday formed a five-member committee to investigate the Sunday's attacks on four journalists by Islamic Chhatra Shibir cadres.

Campus sources said all the members of the probe committee, headed by Prof Dr Mahmudul Alam, are pro-Jamaat teachers. The university correspondents rejected the probe committee.

On Sunday, the Shibir cadres assaulted the journalists and kept two of them confined for three hours at the provost's room when they came to the hall to collect information about whether Shibir cadres were enrolling students in the voter list.

They four journalists are Johaer Ibne Kalim, RU correspondent of the daily Jugantor, and photojournalist Abdullah Iqbal, Meherul Hasan Sujon of the daily Samakal and Salauddin Muhammad Sumon of the Bhorer Kagoj.

Earlier, the Shibir activists put up posters on the walls of the hall asking students to contact the Shibir president of the hall unit to enroll their names in the voter list and collect national identity cards.

The hall authorities, however, removed the posters from the walls and notice board.

Campus sources said all the members of the probe committee, headed by Prof Dr Mahmudul Alam, are pro-Jamaat teachers. The university correspondents rejected the probe committee.

The sources also said the attackers and the Shibir president of the hall unit had gone into hiding.

When contacted, hall Provost Prof Nurul Islam said the authorities have already removed the posters and that the probe committee will investigate the incident.