One arrested in TBS journo assault, CUJ issues ultimatum for main culprits’ arrest

Police have arrested a person in a case filed over the recent assault on The Business Standard staff correspondent Abu Azad in Chattogram.

"Kanchan Kumar Turi, 36, manager of a brick kiln in Rangunia, was arrested from the upazila's Ranihat area around 11:45pm on Monday," Mahbub Milki, officer-in-charge of Rangunia Model police station, told TBS.

Kanchan Kumar Turi is the son of Jeevan Krishna Turi, a resident of Ward 5 of Rajanagar Union Parishad.

On Sunday, Abu Azad was attacked by Rangunia UP member Mohiuddin Talukdar Mohan when he went to collect information on illegal brick kilns there. He was picked up in a white car and taken to a nearby market where they assaulted him publicly.

Later, he was taken to Mohan's office and tortured. They took away his mobile phone, wallet and ID card and demanded Tk50,000 as extortion.

On Monday, ten people including Siraj Uddin Chowdhury, chairman of Islampur Union Parishad, and UP member Mohiuddin Talukder Mohan, were sued for assaulting Azad. The other accused in the case are brick kiln manager Kamran, Mohan's associate Kanchan Turi and five to seven other armed criminals.

CUJ issues ultimatum

The Chattogram Union of Journalists (CUJ) issued a 72-hour ultimatum on Tuesday for the arrest of the main culprits behind the attack on journalist Abu Azad.

They brought out a procession on Tuesday morning in the port city demanding exemplary punishment of those responsible for assaulting their fellow colleague and urged the authorities concerned to take measures to ensure the security of journalists.

Journalist leaders said at a rally before the procession that they will announce stringent programmes if the main culprits behind the assault – UP chairman Siraj and member Mohiuddin Talukder Mohan – are not arrested in the next 72 hours.

Tapan Chakrabarti, president of the Chattogram Union of Journalists, said at the rally, "The arrest of other accused is meaningless if police cannot arrest the main culprits. If they are not arrested within 3 days, we will announce our next move."

Ali Abbas, president of the Chattogram Press Club, said, "The government should immediately arrest those who attacked Abu Azad and give exemplary punishment."

Members of the Chattogram Press Club, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, TV Journalists Association, Chattogram Photojournalists Association, and Bangladesh Photojournalists Association participated in the rally and procession.