BNP Activists Attack Journalists Following Sheikh Hasina Attempted Murder Case Verdict

Staff Reporter

BNP activists launched an attack on journalists following the High Court’s verdict acquitting nine BNP members in a 1994 attempted murder case against Sheikh Hasina at the Ishwardi railway station in Pabna.

Senior reporter Javed Akhter of ATN News was critically injured in the attack and was later admitted to Islami Bank Hospital in Kakrail.

The incident occurred on February 5 outside the Supreme Court’s annex building after the verdict was announced.

Witnesses reported that the attack began around 12:00 p.m. when journalists were waiting for a briefing from the defense lawyers. In the presence of BNP leader and Pabna district BNP president Habibur Rahman Habib, over a hundred BNP activists began causing chaos. When journalists protested, the situation escalated into violence.

Hassan Javed, acting president of the Law Reporters Forum and special correspondent for NTV, said, “When ATN News reporter Javed Akhter protested against the commotion caused by Pabna BNP members, the activists started beating him. When we tried to intervene, they attacked us too. At least 10 journalists were injured in the assault.”

He added, “The attackers were followers of Habibur Rahman Habib, who was present during the incident but made no effort to stop them. Later, BNP lawyer Kaisar Kamal intervened to control the situation, though some activists tried to attack him as well.”

In response, journalists staged a sit-in protest in the annex premises and boycotted the scheduled briefing, demanding justice and the identification of the attackers.

The attack followed the High Court’s verdict earlier in the day, which acquitted nine BNP activists previously sentenced to death for their involvement in the 1994 attempted assassination of Sheikh Hasina.