Staff Correspondent: Senior journalist Liaquat Ali Badal has been accused of being picked up, beaten, humiliated and creating a mob after publishing a news story titled "Autorickshaw license in the name of July fighters, 5 crore taka business scam". The journalist community has demanded the withdrawal of Rangpur City Corporation Chief Executive Umme Fatima in this incident.
The incident of picking up the journalist named Liaquat Ali Badal from the city's Kachari Bazar around 12:30 noon and beating him at the Rangpur City Corporation took place on Sunday (September 21).
Senior journalist Liaquat Ali Badal works as the bureau chief of Dainik Sangbad, Bangla Tribune and Ekushey Television in Rangpur.
Journalist Liaquat Ali Badal, who was tortured, alleged that he was picked up and beaten at the City Corporation for reporting on corruption in the issuance of autorickshaw licenses in Rangpur City Corporation. He said, "The CEO of RCC, Umme Fatima, the alleged July fighter terrorist Rocky and his men picked me up from Kachari Bazar and beat me up. Later, they took me to the City Corporation and tried to take me to the CEO's chamber and forced me to apologize. I did not do anything wrong, so I did not apologize. I made the news, if it was false, they would protest or protest. But they will pick me up and torture me. They will ask me to apologize. I want justice for this incident."
Meanwhile, when various journalist organizations and professional journalists went to hold a sit-in program in front of the Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) to protest the journalist's pick-up and beating, RCC employees tried to attack the journalists by defending the CEO. At this time, a tense situation arose between the employees and the journalists. Later, the employees kind of threw the journalists out of the City Corporation. Later, the situation normalized with the intervention of the army and police.
Rangpur Journalists Union General Secretary Sarkar Mazharul Mannan said, Liaqat Ali Badal is a senior journalist and member secretary of the Rangpur Journalists Society. He was publicly picked up and beaten, which is a very shameful incident. We have given an ultimatum to arrest the people involved within 24 hours and withdraw the CEO. If there is an exception to this, we will go on a strict movement.
Reporters Club Rangpur President Shah Bayezid Ahmed said, "Journalists should work independently, this is the basic principle of democracy, but picking up and beating a journalist for publishing news there is unprecedented and extremely worrying. We want the culprits to be arrested within 24 hours and the CEO Umme Fatima to be withdrawn. Otherwise, a movement will be called.
Rangpur Journalists Union President Salequzzaman Salek said, the mastermind of the attack on the journalist is the CEO of the City Corporation. He must be withdrawn within 24 hours. Otherwise, the journalist society across the country will form a larger movement.
Journalist leaders said that a new program including a human chain will be announced tomorrow, Monday at 11 am. They are already holding a sit-in program in front of the office of the Chief Executive Officer of the City Corporation.
Rangpur Metropolitan Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ataur Rahman said, "We went to the spot after learning about the incident. We stayed there with journalists. After seeing the CCTV footage, the culprits will definitely be brought to justice. We have already learned the name of one of them through the victim journalist. The matter is being viewed seriously.
In this regard, during a discussion on the controversial incident at the Deputy Commissioner's office, Rangpur City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Umme Fatima said, "The allegations made against me are completely baseless. I also want justice after a fair investigation of this incident.
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