JU journalist says he was attacked while on duty; files complaint

A campus-based journalist was allegedly assaulted and harassed by a group of students while on duty at Jahangirnagar University (JU), with his professional equipment vandalised and his footage forcibly checked, according to the victim and university authorities.

The journalist, Arifur Rahman, a third-year student of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at JU and the university correspondent for bdnews24.com, said the incident occurred on the night of February 6 on Shaheed Minar Road inside the campus.

Arifur claimed while collecting news, he was surrounded by Mohammad Imon of the 48th batch of the Department of Public Health and Informatics; Md Sahanur Rahman Sanju of the 48th batch of the Department of Philosophy; and Imon Babu of the 51st batch of the Department of Bangla, along with five to six unidentified individuals.

“Despite identifying myself as a journalist, they began harassing me. Mohammad Imon forcibly snatched my mobile phone and started checking my footage,” Arifur told The Daily Star.

“When they tried to seize my camera, a scuffle broke out, and my camera and lens were damaged,” he said.

Arifur further alleged that the same group returned later that night after learning that he had lodged a complaint mentioning their names and again subjected him to physical harassment and intimidation.

“I was attacked twice on the same night,” he said.

He also claimed that after the incident, the accused launched a smear campaign against him using fake Facebook pages and accounts to malign his reputation.

Arifur lodged a formal complaint with the university proctor today, seeking administrative action against those involved.

JU Proctor AKM Rashidul Alam said the university would investigate the allegations.

“A probe committee will be formed to look into the matter. Necessary action will be taken against those found guilty following the investigation,” he said.

When contacted, Imon Babu, one of the accused, denied the allegations.

“I saw an argument between students of the 52nd and 48th batches. I was trying to mediate, as the 52nd batch students are our juniors,” he said.

Other accused could not be reached for comments despite several attempts over the phone.