PRESS RELEASE/4 FEBRUARY 2025

DHAKA

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BJIM Condemns Armed Attacks on Journalists in Bangladesh

 

Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media (BJIM) strongly condemns the recent armed assaults on at least eight journalists in two separate districts.

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In Shariatpur, a group of men wielding hammers and knives attacked Daily Samakal’s correspondent, Sohag Khan Sujon, on Monday. The assailants, identified as Nuruzzaman Sheikh and his associates, began beating Sujon in retaliation for his investigative report on corruption at a local hospital. When his colleagues—Bidhan Majumder, Nayan Das, and Saiful Islam—rushed to his aid, the attackers brutally assaulted them with hammers as well.

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In a separate incident in Laxmipuron the same day, masked assailants attacked four on-duty journalists with bamboo sticks. They fired at least one pistol round after the journalists refused to comply with threats over reporting on a land dispute. The attackers then robbed the journalists—Rafikul Islam, Abdul Malek, Mohammad Alauddin, and Foysal Mahmud—of their cameras, mobile phones, and wallets.

 

All eight victims were hospitalised, with at least two severely injured and covered in blood.

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BJIM expresses deep concern over such violent attacks on journalists, particularly while they are on duty. The alarming frequency of these incidents highlights the failure of law enforcement to maintain order and ensure journalists' safety.

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We stand in solidarity with our injured colleagues and urge the interim government to take necessary steps to ensure the best medical care for them, swift legal action against the perpetrators, and exemplary justice to prevent such attacks in the future.

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On behalf of all BJIM members,

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SAM Jahan, Convener, BJIM

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Redwan Ahmed, Treasurer, BJIM

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