On August 25, Prothom Alo’s Dhaka University correspondent Asif Himadri was assaulted by members of a paramilitary group, known as Ansars, while covering a clash between university students and political workers outside the Secretariat Complex of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
During the Ansar protest, who laid siege to the secretariat demanding the nationalisation of their jobs, a clash broke out between Ansar members and students associated with the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Whilst covering this incident, Himadri was allegedly attacked and injured by Ansar personnel at around 9.30 pm, despite identifying himself as a journalist. Around 40 students were injured in the clashes. On August 26, 388 general Ansar members were sent to jail by magistrate Md Mossaraf Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
At least four journalists have been killed and hundreds injured while reporting on the violence of national protests. On August 14, 20 journalists were injured during an assault on the Chittagong Press Club in south-eastern Bangladesh and five days later on August 19, offices of the East West Media Group Limited (EWMGL) Complex were attacked, with assailants vandalising the premises and injuring one journalist.
Some journalists injured during the protests remain in critical condition. Journalist Aminul Islam Emon, affiliated with the daily Bangladesh Samachar, was shot by police on July 20 at around 7:30 pm in the Malibagh Railgate area of Dhaka, where he was filming a police attack on a student protest. More than a month after this incident, he remains in critical condition despite two major surgeries, having suffered a heart attack on August 25 requiring further medical care.
The BMSF said: “BMSF unequivocally condemns these heinous acts of violence and demands that the authorities take immediate and decisive action to bring the perpetrators to justice. We call for a comprehensive and transparent investigation into both incidents, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.
The IFJ said: “The IFJ condemns the ongoing insecurity and violence faced by journalists and media workers in Bangladesh. The interim government must take steps to ensure the safety of journalists and media workers and ensure those responsible for these attacks are investigated and held to account.”