AMAR DESH acting editor Mahmudur Rahman was injured in an alleged attack by government backed BCL activists on Kushtia court premises on Sunday after he was granted bail in a defamation case, newspaper reports said. The case was filed by Kushtia BCL President Yasir Arafat Tushar on December 10, 2017 for making “derogatory” remarks about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a seminar in Dhaka earlier that month. A dozen other cases were also filed in different districts over the same.
While bail hearing was going on, some 100 activists of the BCL led by Tushar took position outside the courtroom and confined Mahmudur till 4:30pm. When he tried to get into his car, the BCL men with brick chips and sticks smashed the windscreen and some other parts of his car. He, however, was rescued by police at one stage and sent back to Dhaka. Mahmudur Rahman was made adviser to the energy and mineral resources ministry during the four-party rule in 2001-06.
Whoever he is, any such attack on any person is a shame for our government and condemnable because these boys were sure getting protection from the government. We have to see what action the government takes against the attackers. Some of them are easily identifiable from the pictures shown in the media.
Because the government is in bad condition, for good governance it talks about development of projects as development of the country. It is unfortunate that students are used as violent elements showing no care for their usefulness for the country or their own bright future.
The government is securing safety of life for all but the government’s own policy is to create panic and insecurity in public life. We do not say Mahmudur Rahman was beaten up as a journalist. A person does not become journalist by assuming the title of editor of a newspaper. He has been manhandled for his utterances and for his position in the opposition BNP.
We are deeply concerned being aware how the government using police power and muscle power without respect for law or judiciary. It is a big disappointment for a free country that our police are also not aware of their own independent responsibility to protect their own image as a strong and independent people’s police for giving the people protection of law.
Media reports claim that the police deliberately looked the other way. But the thana police said they did not know Mahmudur Rahman was committed to court. That is not the point. It was not necessary to inform local thana police about the attack. There were enough police within the court compound for offering him security and maintain the sanctity of the court. After the job of beating up Mahmudur Rahman was completed, the OC was kind enough to help him get into his car. The court had no choice but grant him bail in a bailable case.
The people in power cannot see the damage being done building orderly society where law is respected and life is safe.
