Barishal Correspondent :
Barishal Central Jail authority suspended five jail guards for beating a journalist on duty about 2:30 pm on Saturday afternoon.
The suspended jail guards were Ujjal Mia, Abu Bakar Siddique Khokon, Syed Abul Khair, Kawsar Husain , Syed Ahmed, confirmed Barishal Central Jail sources.
Injured photojournalist of Bangla daily Jugantor Shamim Ahamed told that he was shooting photos of open tussles on road between a group of jail guards and police at Sadar Road area in front of the central jail over carrying 11 sacks of wheat bearing seal of government autourities on vanrikshaw.
Then five or six jail guards nabbing me brought inside the jail compound and mercilessly beat and kicked me on face and other parts of the body without asking about my identity in presence of jailor Yunus Zaman. Local journalists after informed rushed to the spot immediately and rescued me’-Shamim told.
Hearing the news of beating Shamim Ahamed by jail guards, local journalists rushed to the Barishal Central Jail and rescuing him sent to Barishal General Hospital. They demanded before the Tawhidul Islam, deputy inspector general and Proshanta Kumar Banik, superintendent of Barishal central jail, for immediate action against the liable persons involved with beating journalist.
Barishal Reporters Unity and Journalist Union also protested and condemned the attack on journalist Shamim and demanded hard punishment against those who were involved with that assault.
Proshanta Kumar Banik, senior jail superintendent of Barishal Central Jail said we heard that some of our jail guards beat one senior journalist inside jail compound. Then we rushed to the spot and rescuing him suspended five jail guards immediately.
A departmental case would also be lodged against the suspended jail guards.
The jail officials assured to take hard action against the liable persons involved with assaulting journalists.
The sacks of wheat belonged to the mess of jail guards and they without taking that wheat normally sold those in open market, he added.
On other hand Sub Inspector Mainul Islam of Barishal Kotwali police station, said police after informed about smuggling wheat from jail, raiding Bazaar Road area also seized more 22 sacks of wheat packed with government seals suspected as smuggled from jail on two trucks and detained their drivers in this connection.
