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Akhil Poddar
Police in Kushtia have been accused of beating up a reporter of the private TV channel, ETV.
Akhil Poddar, a special correspondent with the channel, was beaten by police before being handcuffed and led away to the police station on Tuesday.
According to Poddar, Kumarkhali Police’s Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Abul Kalam Azad and other policemen with him attacked him and another reporter.
Local journalists, on learning of the incident, went to the police station and admitted Poddar and the local correspondent of Mohona TV to the Upazila Health Complex.
Kumarkhali Police’s OC Lutfar Rahman, however, apologised on behalf of his colleagues.
“I apologise for the unwanted incident. Appropriate measures will be taken against those responsible,” he said.
Kushtia’ Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abu Bakar Siddique also went to the police station and promised departmental steps against the policemen concerned.
According to Poddar, he along with Mohona TV’s local correspondent Monirul Islam, were stopped by the police patrol at the Batikmara area.
“The police officer started to swear as soon as he got to know that we were journalists,” said the ETV reporter.
Poddar said that the policemen, led by ASI Azad, started beating them up when they protested.
“When the local people gathered at the spot, Azad made us sign on a blank sheet of paper and threatened to press charges against us under the ICT Act before putting handcuffs and taking us to the police station.”
Source: Bd news24
