BCL men break legs of journo

Police in Jamalpur yesterday arrested a Chhatra League leader on charges of severely beating up a 55-year-old journalist.

Rakib Khan, 28, religious affairs secretary of the district unit BCL, and several others allegedly broke both legs of local journalist Shelu Akanda when they beat him up with iron rods Wednesday night.  

Salemuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Jamalpur Sadar Police Station, said they were looking for the other suspects.

Shelu, reporter of a local daily, is undergoing treatment at National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in the capital.

He was attacked in Dewanpara area of the town where he went for a walk around 11:00pm, police said.

Shelu is the main witness in a case filed in connection with the assault on another journalist in September 2018.

Arrested BCL leader Rakib’s father Ward Councillor Hasanuzzaman Khan is the key accused in that case.

Since then, Hasanuzzaman and his son Rakib started threatening Shelu not to testify in the case, the victim told The Daily Star.

“I gave witness account against Hasanuzzaman recently,” he said.

He added: “Rakib accompanied by around 10 others grabbed me by the collar and said, ‘You want to testify? Testify now’, and started beating me up with iron rods and metal pipes.

“Hearing my screams for help, locals rushed to the scene and chased them away.”

His brother Delwar Hossain Akanda lodged a case with Jamalpur Police Station accusing six, including the councillor and his son.