Journo abducted for 'reporting against firm'

A journalist of Rangpur city was rescued on Thursday afternoon, two hours after he was abducted from his office allegedly by the owner of a local business firm.

SM Piyal, 42, staff correspondent of Rangpur-based daily Rangpur Chaitra, published a report against the firm, Orchid International, on the same day.

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The journalist said he had been abducted because he reported that Orchid International marketed its product, "Purified Drinking Water", without getting permission from the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).

Piyal is also Rangpur correspondent of the national daily Bonik Barta.

He was abducted only eight days after another Rangpur journalist, Mashiur Rahman Utsho, 30, was killed by unknown people.

He was the staff correspondent of the local daily Juger Alo.

Police, family and colleagues suspected that Utsho was murdered for publishing a report against the drug peddlers in the district.

Around 3:00pm on Thursday, 13 people led by owner of Orchid International Tanmoy, 35, stormed into the office of Rangpur Chaitra in Senpara, beat him up, vandalised the office furniture, and took him away on a motorcycle.

With the help of colleagues, police rescued him from the Orchid International's plant in Kamal Kachna area in the city, 2km from Senpara.

Police arrested Tanmoy on the spot.

Piyal lodged an abduction and attempted murder case with Rangpur Kotwali Police Station yesterday, accusing Tanmoy, and his accomplices Mohsin, and Saju of Kamal Kachna area and 10 unidentified people.

Protesting the abduction, journalists under the banner of Sammilito Sangbadik Samaj will form a human chain before Rangpur Press Club at 11:00am on Sunday.