EC Deputy Secretary Bari withdrawn for ‘assaulting’ journalists

Election Commission’s Deputy Secretary Abdul Bari has been removed from an EC project following reports that he ‘assaulted’ two journalists.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 August 2015, 05:17 PM
Updated : 25 August 2015, 05:17 PM

The public administration ministry issued an order on Tuesday withdrawing the deputy director of ‘Identification System for Enhancing Access to Services’ (IDEA) project.

He has been attached to the ministry for further posting.

On Aug 19, officials of the NID and voter list office allegedly assaulted private TV station Channel 24 correspondent GM Mustafizul Alam and cameraperson Ripu Ahmed when they were gathering news at the office.

Bari had reportedly threatened in presence of a number of EC employees that he would make the journalists’ condition ‘like that of Probir Sikdar’.

Journalist Sikdar lost a leg in an attack after writing about the controversial war-time role of business tycoon Moosa Bin Shamsher, related to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cousin through marriage.

He was recently arrested, and later released, in a case for ‘defaming’ LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, father-in-law to Hasina’s daughter, in a Facebook post.
An EC committee, looking into the Aug 19 incident has submitted its findings.
Election Commissioner Md Shah Nawaz had assured steps against EC officials who attacked the TV journalists and removing Deputy Secretary Bari.