Top BNP leaders were behind attack on journos

They are Kushtia district JCD joint-organising Hasan Zaman alias Hasan and Sadar upazila JCD secretary Arifur Rahman alias Sumon.

They were arrested on May 2 for their alleged involvement in attack on a journalist's convention in the district on May 29 last year.

According to police, the JCD leaders during interrogation on remand admitted their involvement in the attack, made by about 200 party activists.

They also mentioned the names of some top BNP leaders in the district who were behind the attack allegedly to foil the journalist's convention, the sources said.

At least 25 journalists including The Bangladesh Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Choudhury were injured when the JCD men attacked the convention.

The convention was called to protest filing of 'false extortion cases' against three local journalists by the then BNP lawmaker from Kushtia-2 and district BNP president Sahidul Islam.

After 10 months, Samim Bin Sattar, correspondent of Daily Khabar, filed a case with Sadar police station accusing two former BNP lawmakers and 10 others.

The accused former lawmakers are Sahidul Islam of Kushtia-2 and Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi of Kushtia-4. Mehedi Rumi is secretary of Kushtia BNP.

Others accused in the case are Kushtia BNP secretary Sajedur Rahman Bablu, district Jubo Dal president Sahidullah Sahid, secretary Mohsin Ali, and BNP activists Nurul Islam Chad, Mizanur Rahman Diuk, Al-Amin Kanay, Golam Hafiz Pipul, Atiar, Mirazul Islam Rintu and Abdur Razzak Bachchu.

According to police, arrested JCD leaders Hasan Sumon were not included in the list of accused. They were detected later from video footage of the incident.