Miscreants on motorbike snatch away Ekattor TV’s camera from London street

Unidentified miscreants have snatched away a camera of the Ekattor TV from a London street when the reporter and crew were preparing for the live feed on Commonwealth meet back to its head office in Dhaka.

The incident occurred on Whitechapel Road in East London Thursday afternoon local time when one of the station’s two teams, now in the UK to cover the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, was preparing for the live broadcast.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is among the Commonwealth heads of government and state attending the meeting.

The TV station, however, alleged it was an 'incident of attack'.

Ekattor TV London Correspondent Tanvir Ahmed told bdnews24.com reporter Farzana Rupa, producer Ripon Haque and cameraman ‘Opurbo’ were in the team.

He said two people on a motorbike snatched away the camera, including the tripod, and fled when the Ekattor TV team was preparing for the live broadcast near the East London Mosque.

Tanvir said the Ekattor TV team could not identify the 'miscreants' as they had helmets on. They also could not take the number of the bike.

Police came and took statements of the three Bangladeshis. They would check the CCTV camera footages of the area.

Bangladeshi expatriates living in the area said incidents of 'mugging with motorcycle' and knife attacks have increased in different areas, especially in Tower Hamlets, lately.

Ekattor TV Managing Director Mozammel Babu, however, said it was an attack by people against the spirit of Ekattor or ’71, the year Bangladesh fought the war of independence from Pakistan.

Head of News and Rupa’s husband Shakil Ahmed also said they were ‘not surprised by the attack’.

“It’s not surprising. Since they have given shelter to the terrorists, an incident such as this has happened,” he said.