Journalist Detained While Covering News at Jasad Office

 ❐ Staff Reporter

Police have detained several people, including former president of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) and journalist Abu Zafar Surya, while they were gathering news about the attack on the party’s office during the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD’s central representative meeting.

On Saturday afternoon, Abu Jafar Surya posted a photo of himself wearing handcuffs on his Facebook account and wrote, “Today, while performing professional duties at the JSD representative meeting, the police are taking me and many others in handcuffs. I don’t know where they are taking me.”

Earlier, the central representative meeting began at 10:40 am on Saturday under the chairmanship of freedom fighter advocate Rabiul Alam, the executive president of JSD. The meeting was attended by designated representatives from various district, metropolitan and upazila branches of the country.

The representative meeting demanded the release of imprisoned JSD president Hasanul Haque Inu.

Making this allegation, party office secretary Sajjad Hossain said that some BNP leaders and activists were in the lead in the attack. However, he could not immediately name anyone.

He said that their representative conference was going on inside the office. Immediately, the attackers entered and started vandalizing indiscriminately. He said that the vandalism was going on till the time of writing this report.

During the meeting, JSD leader Linu Haque complained, “They created a mob and imprisoned everyone.”

At around 2:30 pm, leaders and activists of BNP and allied organizations entered the JSD office. At that time, Dhaka South Jubo Dal member secretary Rabiul Islam Nayan was seen saying that leaders and activists of the banned Awami League were holding a secret meeting here.

When attention was drawn to this matter, Sajjad Hossain said, “This is a lie, our representative meeting was going on. Why would Awami League leaders and activists come here? The point is to attack us by saying something.”

He said that around 3 pm, the police came and mobbed the leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organizations at the JSD office. Later, the police came and started detaining the JSD leaders and activists.

In this regard, Paltan Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md. Shafiqul Islam said, local Jubo Dal leaders and activists are claiming that ‘Joy Bangla’ slogans were raised from inside the JSD office. On the contrary, JSD is claiming that no such incident took place. The attack was carried out deliberately. However, the incident is being investigated. There were no casualties.

The JSD also informed that the attackers have blocked the collapsible gate below. Inside, the leaders and activists who had come to the representative conference are trapped in various rooms, including the Colonel Taher auditorium.

Upon reaching the spot, it was seen that a large number of eager people were gathered outside. Youth Dal leaders and activists were also present there. Police members were on alert.

Shahbagh Thana Jubo Dal member secretary Moazzem Hossain Tapan said, “AISA is holding a secret meeting with 500-600 people from different parts of the country – Kushtia, Jessore, Chuadanga, Satkhira – to create arson in the country, to further destabilize the country. What you have been seeing for a few days now, arson and bombing in different places, this is part of what they are holding a secret meeting here today.”

Tapan said, “Meanwhile, around 11:30 am, we received information that a secret meeting was being held here. Then some of our people got the truth from AISA. After receiving it, we barricaded them extensively. We informed the administration people. Then, you can see the administration people picking them up one by one in a car and taking them away. So far, 95 people have been picked up in a car and taken to the police station. Many more people are still here.”

Over 400 arrested in police raid at JSD office

Police are conducting a raid at the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) headquarters in Gulistan. The raid has been going on since 3pm on Saturday, said SI Nazmul Hossain, who was at the scene.

He said, there are about 400 people inside. They are being detained and taken away. After receiving information around 3 pm, the police went to the third floor of the JSD office and saw them. They were holding a meeting here. They were shouting slogans like ‘Joy Bangla’.

DMP’s Deputy Commissioner of Media and Public Relations Department Md. Akhtar Hossain said at 4:15 pm, “We have so far learned that ‘Joy Bangla’ slogans were raised in front of that office, and a meeting was going on inside. In view of this, the police are going to the spot and taking many people, so far many have been taken to Paltan Police Station. Our activities are still going on, a decision will be taken about them after reviewing the entire process.”

Meanwhile, allegations surfaced that journalist Abu Zafar Surya and several others were taken away in handcuffs by the police while they were gathering news. The police did not immediately provide details about where they were taken and the reason for their detention.