Staff Reporter :
Journalists on Saturday demanded immediate release of the Daily Observer Photojournalist Ashik Muhammad, with punishment to those police officials who lodged fake case against him on June 27.
The journalists came up with this demand from a human chain held in front of the Jatiya Press Club
under the banner of Photojournalists. They also threatened to gherao Paltan Police Station if Ashik is not released within 24 hours.
Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Shaban Mahmud has warned of more protests and laying siege to the Home Ministry if the photojournalist is not released.
Over 100 members of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), DUJ and the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) took part in the human chain between 11am and 1pm.
According to BFUJ Joint Secretary General Pulak Ghatak, Ashik was arrested after an argument with a police patrol team.
A narcotics case was filed against him for the possession of 10 Yaba tablets.
Pulak had previously written a Facebook post outlining Ashik’s version of events after speaking to him in prison.
“On June 27 (the day after Eid) a police patrol stopped Ashik’s motorcycle. He spoke to the police and they got into an argument. Police snatched away his mobile phone, beat him and put him on a van.”
“He was taken to the Paltan Police Station around 2am where he was beaten until blood was coming out from his nose and mouth. He was again said that he could go on payment of Tk 100,000. Otherwise, they said, he would be prosecuted in narcotics charge.
“Ashik told them he could pay Tk 5,000 only and didn’t have the money to pay more. The next day police charged him with possession of Yaba.”
Journalists on Saturday demanded immediate release of the Daily Observer Photojournalist Ashik Muhammad, with punishment to those police officials who lodged fake case against him on June 27.
The journalists came up with this demand from a human chain held in front of the Jatiya Press Club
under the banner of Photojournalists. They also threatened to gherao Paltan Police Station if Ashik is not released within 24 hours.
Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Shaban Mahmud has warned of more protests and laying siege to the Home Ministry if the photojournalist is not released.
Over 100 members of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), DUJ and the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) took part in the human chain between 11am and 1pm.
According to BFUJ Joint Secretary General Pulak Ghatak, Ashik was arrested after an argument with a police patrol team.
A narcotics case was filed against him for the possession of 10 Yaba tablets.
Pulak had previously written a Facebook post outlining Ashik’s version of events after speaking to him in prison.
“On June 27 (the day after Eid) a police patrol stopped Ashik’s motorcycle. He spoke to the police and they got into an argument. Police snatched away his mobile phone, beat him and put him on a van.”
“He was taken to the Paltan Police Station around 2am where he was beaten until blood was coming out from his nose and mouth. He was again said that he could go on payment of Tk 100,000. Otherwise, they said, he would be prosecuted in narcotics charge.
“Ashik told them he could pay Tk 5,000 only and didn’t have the money to pay more. The next day police charged him with possession of Yaba.”
