'BCL men' of CMC beat up Prothom Alo photojournalist

A Prothom Alo photojournalist and a motorcycle rider were allegedly beaten up by some Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men of Chittagong Medical College (CMC) unit yesterday in Chittagong city when the former took photos of them beating the latter.

The rider was tailgating an ambulance crossing a blockade being enforced by the BCL men at the Probortok intersection around 2:15pm, said several eyewitnesses and local shop owners requesting anonymity.

The blockade came following a procession brought out from CMC denouncing the hacking of three fellow activists during a clash with local youths of Nasirabad in the early hours of Tuesday, they said.

The BCL men saw Jewel Shil taking the photos and four or five of them, led by CMC unit BCL President Rashedul Islam, attacked him, snatched the camera and deleted the photos, added the witnesses.

The rider managed to escape and Jewel was threatened of further beatings and humiliated in front of a gathering crowd for some 20 minutes before being released, they said.

Rashedul neither received repeated calls last night, nor answered a text message seeking comment. CMC Central Students' Union Vice President Nabid Anzum Tanvir, reportedly present on the scene, did not answer calls.

Chittagong city unit BCL General Secretary Nurul Azim Rony said, "It is a matter of great regret. If we get any complaint, we will take organisational action against the culprits". Jewel said he would file a case.