Amar Desh editor hurt in ‘BCL attack’

The leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) allegedly carried out an attack on Bangla daily Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman on Kushtia court premises on Sunday after the court granted him bail in a case.

The case against Mahmudur Rahman was filed for making derogatory remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Tulip Siddiq.

Witnesses said the BCL men, who took position outside of the courtroom, confined Mahmudur Rahman in a courtroom here just after the court granted him bail in the case in the afternoon.

At one stage as Mahmudur tried to get into his car, the BCL men hurled brick chips targeting his car forcing him to take shelter at the room of an advocate Shams Tanim Mukti.

Later, the BCL men entered into the room and beat him up mercilessly around 4:30pm, leaving him injured. At one stage, police rescued him and sent to Jashore Hospital by an ambulance.

Earlier, in the day, Kushtia Senior Judicial Magistrate MM Morshed granted him permanent bail around 12:00 noon in a defamation case filed by district unit BCL president Yasir Arafat Tushar on December 10, 2107.

Earlier, Mahmudur appeared before the court.

After he was granted bail, a group of BCL leaders and activists, led by the district unit president, took position outside the courtroom hearing that Mahmudur Rahman had been granted bail. The BCL members also chanted slogans against the Bangla daily acting editor at that time and kept Mahmudur confined around 4:00pm.

On December 1, the acting editor of the Bangla daily took part in a seminar on restoration of democracy and the role of media, organised by Bangladesh Democratic Council at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka.

The journalist at the programme allegedly made derogatory comments about Bangabandhu and Hasina, reports UNB.

Later, several cases were filed against Mahmudur Rahman in different districts for making the 'derogatory remarks.'