Noakhali Correspondent

A human chain has been formed in Sonaimuri, Noakhali, to protest the attack on two journalists for reporting corruption and the police station's failure to file a case.

The program was organized by the Noakhali Journalists Union in front of the Noakhali Press Club on Wednesday afternoon. Journalists working in various print, electronic and online media outlets of the district participated in it.

The speakers at the human chain said that after publishing news about the alleged embezzlement of funds allocated for orphans at the Faizia Orphanage in Sonaimuri, Golzar Hanif, a staff reporter of Daily Amadre Shom, and Daily Noakhali's Kathar, and Moniruzzaman, a Sonaimuri Upazila correspondent of Daily Bhorer Chetna, were attacked. They alleged that they and their families were also threatened with death during that time.

The speakers also said that when they went to file a case in the attack incident, Sonaimuri Police Station OC Md. Kabir Hossain left the complaint without taking the case. They alleged that time is being wasted in the name of investigation by not taking the case for the last four days. On the contrary, charges of extortion have been filed against the injured journalists without any information or evidence.

They alleged that the police have not yet collected the CCTV footage of the attack on the 'Chaduibhati Party Center'. The journalists also expressed anger over the failure of the concerned authorities to take any action after publishing news about the alleged embezzlement of government allocations for orphans.

Journalist leaders in the human chain said that attacks on journalists for publishing evidence-based news of corruption are a threat to independent journalism. 

Former acting general secretary of Noakhali Press Club Jamal Uddin Bishad, general secretary of Noakhali Journalists Union Shahadat Hossain Babu, former joint general secretary of Noakhali Press Club Akbar Hossain Sohag, AR Azad Sohel, staff reporter of Daily Manabzamin Nasir Uddin Badal, district correspondent of ATN News Faizul Islam Jahan, Noakhali correspondent of RTV and Daily Agamir Shomore Gias Uddin Rony, district representative of Asian TV Mujahid Islam Sohel, president of Sonaimuri Press Club Belal Hossain Bhuiyan and former general secretary of Sonaimuri Press Club Jasim Uddin Raj, spoke at the event.