Journalists and civil society in Feni are up in arms with outrage over an incident where a journalist was trapped in a false case and then brought to court at the end of a rope that was tied around his waist.   The victim is SM Yusuf Ali, bureau chief of Dainik Adhikar, editor of online news portal ‘Feni Report’ and a resident of Purbochandrapur union in Dagonbhuiyan upazila of the district. M Shahjahan Saju, who stood for the victim in court, said former Superintendent of Police (SP) of the district Jahangir Alam Sarkar filed some false cases against the four journalists including his client to harass them deliberately in 2019. Though the newsmen secured bail from the High Court in the cases later, the chargesheets were submitted by indicting them. Journalist Yusuf Ali had somehow missed an appearance before a Feni court in hearing in one of the four cases filed with Chhagalnaiya police station. Read more: Cop held in Feni for sodomising teen Police picked him up from his residence around 1.30am on Wednesday and produced him before the court by tying rope around his waist on Wednesday, resulting in a severe outrage among the journalists over the matter. He was landed in jail from the court after hearing the case. Abu Taher, a senior journalist and heroic Freedom Fighter, said that it was a condemnable matter that a journalist was taken to the court by tiring with rope which is a clear abhorrent to the Journalism. Advocate Laxman Banik, president of Shushanoer Jonno Nagorik, a civil society organisation, said former SP Jahangir indicted the journalists in the false cases. “It is not lawful to produce a journalist before a court tied to a rope,” he said. Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, Didarul Alam, president and general secretary of Feni Reporters’ Unity respectively, demanded action against the former SP upon investigation in this regard.  Read more: Feni OC, five others sued in case filed by Juba Dal leader’s wife SP Jakir Hasan said the rope was untied and removed after the identity of the arrestee was established, putting the earlier action in a ‘cuffing’.  

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Kaisar Khusru has been withdrawn from his post and made an officer on special duty (OSD) in a punitive administrative action for verbally abusing a local journalist over phone. Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said, “We’ve already instructed to withdraw him, making him OSD immediately. And then action will be taken against him as per the instructions to be given by the High Court.” He was replying to a question during a media briefing on Monday’s Cabinet meeting. Also read: HC calls Teknaf UNO ‘wrongheaded’ over verbal abuse of journalists The divisional commissioners have also been instructed to sit with field level officers to discuss their etiquette and behavior, said the Cabinet secretary. Meanwhile, the Cox’s Bazar district administration on Sunday issued a show-cause notice to Khosru asking for his explanation. On Thursday last, the accused UNO called journalist Saidul Farhad over phone and harassed him verbally questioning why he wrote a report against the houses constructed under the Ashrayan-2 project seen as the prime minister’s gift to the homeless people. As an audio record of the call that went viral on social media sparked huge criticism. Later on Friday Cox’s Bazar DC held a meeting with the journalist and UNO to resolve the issue. On Sunday, the High Court said that 'no one but a wrongheaded person can talk like this' as a lawyer brought its attention to a media report on the UNO’s act. Also read: 89.51pc Cabinet decisions implemented since January 2019 “It is sad and unacceptable to harass a journalist in such a language,” said the court. The higher court observed as the UNO has apologized he has accepted that his comment was not acceptable.

Rangamati journalist Fazle Elahi will get justice, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud has said.  He came up with the assurance while briefing journalists after a meeting with the leaders of the Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday.  Hasan Mahmud said, “Digital Security Act (DSA) is needed to curb cybercrimes in the country. Many journalists have lodged complaints underthe DSA. None including journalists should be harassed in false cases taking advantage of the DSA. But the offenders need to be punished.” “I don’t know the details about journalist Fazle Elahi’s incident. He was granted bail in the DSA case filed by a person. The ministry will monitor the incident so that the journalist get justice.”    Mentioning that daily newspapers are violating the conditions of their declaration by organising talk shows on their online platforms, he said there is no scope of arranging talk show on online platforms of  newspapers. READ: BNP made journalists ‘labourers’: Hasan Mahmud Urging people not to pay heed to rumours, the minister said Padma Bridge will be inaugurated on June 25. A Rangamati court on Wednesday granted bail to journalist Fazle Elahi in a case filed under the Digital Security Act. Rangamati Senior Judicial Magistrate Fatema Begum Mukta granted the bail and asked Elahi, editor of Dainik Parbatya Chattogram and Pahar 24.com, to appear before the Chattogram Cyber Tribunal within seven days.   Nazneen Anwar, daughter of former Rangamati MP (reserved seat) Firoza Begum Chinu lodged the complaint with police against Elahi under the DSA over publishing a report against her mother Chinu. Chattogram Cyber Tribunal issued an arrest warrant against Elahi following the case and police arrested him from his ADC Hill residence in Rangamati Tuesday evening.

An elderly man returning home was run over by a speeding  microbus in the city’s Rayerbagh area on Friday night, police said. The deceased was identified as Swapan Tabriz, 65, father of Md Samsuddin Ahmed Mishu, a journalist with a local daily. READ: 1 killed in road crash at city’s Nawabpur According to the victim's family, Swapan went to a relative's house in Basabo around noon on Friday. He met with the accident on his way back home around 8 pm in the Rayerbagh area where he lived. Jatrabari Police Station SI Mohammad Khaleq said the Chittagong-bound microbus ran over Swapan after its driver lost control of the speeding vehicle.  READ: 3 killed in Habiganj road crash "Efforts are on to nab the driver of the killer vehicle," he said.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members arrested Nusrat Shahreen Raka, sister of controversial expatriate journalist  Kanak Sarwar,  for spreading anti-state propaganda. Raka, 38, wife of Nasir Uddin Majumder,  was arrested during a drive of Rab-1conducted at city’s Uttara area early Tuesday, said a press release of Rab Headquarter.  RAB members seized a mobile phone set with anti-state contents, a passport and some Ice or Crystal Meth from her possession during the arrest. Also read: Block seditious contents of journo Kanak Sarwar's YouTube channel: HC  During primary interrogation of Rab, Raka confessed that she is an active member of a group which is involved in spreading a anti-state propaganda.  Raka used to spread false, misleading and defamatory information about the state and important personalities of the state through social media to disrupt peace and discipline of the country, according to Rab.  According to her statement, several members of the group are involved in various spreadig propaganda against the state through social media staying outside the country. She also said she used to assist her brother Kanak Sarwar  and other equal-minded peoplw in this matter. Legal action will be taken against the arrestee,  said ASP (Media) Imran Khan of Rab headquarter.

The High Court on Sunday granted three-month bail to three men arrested in a case filed over the murder of journalist Borhan Uddin Muzakkir amid political infighting in Noakhali's Companiganj. A bench of Justice Farid Ahmed and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order after hearing separate bail pleas of the defendants. The three accused - Yousuf Nabi alias Bahadur, Abdul Amin and Azizul Haque Manik – have been in jail since March 11. Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kajal presented the defendants’ side at the court and Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Bashir Ullah stood for the state. Also read: Journalist Muzakkir murder: 2 accused denied bail Dr Md Bashir Ullah said they will appeal against the HC order at the Appellate Division. On February 19, clashes and gunfight took place between the supporters of Basurhat Municipality Mayor Abdul Quader Mirza and former Companiganj upazila chairman Mizanur Rahman Badal over establishing supremacy. Both groups used firearms in the clash and the law enforcers fired several rounds of tear gas and shotguns to control the situation. Muzakkir, a Noakhali district correspondent of online news portal Barta Bazar and also Companiganj correspondent for The Daily Bangladesh Samachar, suffered bullet wounds and fell on the ground when he was taking pictures and filming the intra-party clash. Also read: AL factional clash in Companiganj again , 6 shot The critically injured journalist was rushed to Noakhali General Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to injuries on February 20. On February 23, Muzakkir's father Nurul Huda Master filed a case with Companyganj Police Station accusing unnamed people. Later the case was transferred to the Police Bureau of Investigation.