bdnews24.com journalists attacked

Some unidentified people attacked the journalists of bdnews24.com at its Amtoli office in the city's Mohakhali, leaving several, three of them critically, injured.

The incident took place on the ground floor of the Building-99 near the Government Ban Bhaban (forest building) around 9-9:15pm on Monday.

bdnews24.com Sub-editor Newaz Mohammed Rifaat, Correspondent Salahuddin Wahed Pritom and office staff Ruhul Amin received serious injuries.

They have been rushed to the United Hospital at the capital's Gulshan. Doctors, however, said the trio is "out of danger".

Rifaat and Pritom were stabbed indiscriminately in their legs while Ruhul Amin received knife injuries in the upper part of the body.

Ruhul Amin was attacked in front of the building while keeping an eye on some office stuff kept outside to be shifted to the new office location of the first internet-based newspaper of the country and news agency.

On hearing shrieks of Ruhul Amin, the journalists from the office rushed to his aid and captured the assailants and informed police.

Angered at this, some more accomplices of the assailants from nearby areas, armed with sharp-edged weapons, swooped on the journalists.

The criminals forcibly opened the shutter of the ground floor and attacked the newsmen and other staff, including Sohag Mia of bdnews24.com.

They also vandalised several vehicles and motorcycles of journalists of bdnews24.com parked outside the office.

RAB and police officials arrived on the scene a while after the incident and were in the bdnews24.com office until wee hours of Tuesday.

DMP Gulshan zone Deputy Commissioner Lutful Kabir, who visited the scene, said, "It's still unclear as to who the attackers were. Several teams of DMP have been told to scan the adjoining areas to find the attackers."

bdnews24.com News Editor Gazi Nasir Uddin Ahmed said, "We are shocked. We demand immediate arrest and trial of the attackers."

United Hospital's emergency unit Doctor Bayezid told bdnews24.com: "Both Rifaat and Pritom bore stab wounds of sharp weapons on their both thighs. But they are out of danger."

Also, there were stab wounds on Ruhul Amin's body and he also received head injuries, he added.

Both Rifaat and Pritom were conscious and talking after they were out of the operation theatre. But Amin's situation was yet to improve because of his critical injuries.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Shahara Khatun, Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad and State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam visited the injured at the United Hospital.

Main opposition BNP's Chairperson Khaleda Zia condemned the attack on the bdnews24.com journalists in a media statement soon after the incident.

Meanwhile, journalist unions across the country announced demonstrations and human chain protest programmes as they came to know about the incident.