Arrest to seek information : Kaler Kantho journalist Tipu gets bail amid journalists' protest in Satkhira
Tala (Satkhira) Correspondent
Kaler Kantho journalist Rokonuzzaman Tipu has been granted bail amid journalists' protest.
Tipu's lawyer, Ed. Khairul Badiuzzaman, appealed to the Satkhira Additional District Magistrate's Court on Thursday afternoon.
The bail was granted after the hearing in the presence of journalist leaders. Earlier, a sit-in protest was held demanding the release of journalist Rokonuzzaman Tipu. The protest was held in front of the Satkhira District Commissioner's office at 11 am on Thursday. Prothom Alo's own reporter Kalyan Banerjee, former president of Satkhira Press Club Ed. Abul Kalam Azad, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Central Committee of the Mofusal Journalists Forum Ahmed Abu Jafar, Sharifullah Kaiser Sumon of Desh TV, Raghunath Khan of Deepto TV, Abul Kashem of Ajker Patrika. Satkhira correspondent of Kalerkantho Mosharraf Hossain, staff reporter of Dhaka Pratidin Israfil Hossain, SM Biplob Hossain of Manabwazmin, Tala Upazila President of Bangladesh Mofusal Journalists Forum MA Faisal, journalist of Tala Press Club Selim Haider and others.
The speakers said that journalist Tipu went to collect information on Tuesday after receiving news of irregularities and corruption in the construction of buildings in the Tala Upazila Parishad complex. When he asked for information, the corrupt official Upazila Deputy Assistant Engineer Mamun Hossain beat him up with an umbrella.
At one stage, Tipu pushed the attacker in self-defense. Later, a fight broke out between Tipu and Mamun. Tipu informed the Upazila Executive Officer Sheikh Md. Russell about the matter, who arrived at the scene half an hour later and, after hearing the one-sided incident from Engineer Mamun and the contractor's employees, illegally sentenced journalist Rokonuzzaman to 10 days in prison and a fine of Tk 200.
The speakers demanded Tipu's immediate release. At the same time, they demanded that punitive action be taken against Upazila Executive Officer Sheikh Md. Russell, Deputy Assistant Engineer Mamun Hossain and those involved in the attack and corruption.
Later, the journalists met Satkhira Additional Deputy Commissioner (Gen) Bishnupada Paul. The release of journalist Rokonuzzaman Tipu at 4 pm
The journalist leaders welcomed him with a garland of flowers at the Satkhira jail gate.
