4 detained for beating up Sunamganj journalist

Police today detained four over the assault of journalist Kamal Hossain yesterday. He was reporting on illegal sand and stone lifting at the bank of the Jadukata river in Sunamganj's Tahirpur.

The detainees are Foysol Ahmed (19), Anharul Islam (20), Tahir Hossain (22), and Masrubul Islam (26) -- all from Ghagotia village in the upazila.

No cases were filed till 2:30 pm today, our Sylhet correspondent reports. However, a case is expected to be filed later in the day. Dipankar Biswas, a sub-inspector at Tahirpur Police Station, said police are searching for other attackers.

Meanwhile, Sunamganj Reporters' Unity formed a human chain at Altaf Uddin Square of Sunamganj municipality to protest the attack. "We strongly condemn the attack on a journalist, and urge to detain all people involved," said Bindu Talukdar, president of the Unity.

Yesterday, daily Sangbad's Upazila correspondent Kamal Hossain went to the area to report on the illegal sand and stone lifting at the river bank around 1:30 pm. While he was taking photographs of the spot, he was confronted by a group of locals, tied up to a tree, and beaten.