At least 10 journalists were attacked by the police while performing their professional duties during the Supreme Court Bar Association elections.
This incident took place in the auditorium of the Bar Association on Wednesday inside the auditorium (voting center) of the Supreme Court Lawyers Association.
The nominated secretary candidate from the BNP-backed panel, a member of the election management subcommittee, started arguing with Ruhul Quddus, at 10 o'clock in the morning.
During the uproar, ruckus and jostling between the Awami League and BNP-backed lawyers erupted over the Supreme Court Lawyers Association's committee regarding the conduct of this year's (2023-24) elections, when pro-BNP lawyers clashed with an Awami League-backed lawyer Association president Momtaz Uddin Fakir tried to calm the situation. He is the presidential candidate in this election from the Awami League-supported panel.
After a while, Mahbub Uddin, the presidential candidate from the BNP-backed panel, said, "There will be no election until a decision is made on the commission."
It is to be noted that from Tuesday evening, heat spread between the two parties with the head of the convening committee on the premises of the association.
Awami League-supported lawyers as convener of the election management sub-committee nominated Moniruzzaman. On the other hand, the BNP-backed lawyers nominated ASM Moktar Kabir Khan as the convener.
According to several eyewitness lawyers, around seven o'clock in the evening on Tuesday, Awami League-supported lawyers, after naming Moniruzzaman as convener, BNP-backed lawyers announced Moktar Kabir Khan as convener.
When Moniruzzaman went to the third floor conference room of the association to sign the ballot paper as part of the election process. Pro-BNP lawyers objected to this. They stole some ballot papers. There were processions, commotion and uproar on both sides at that time.
According to the announced schedule, the two-day election of the association was scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. The polling was supposed to start at 10 am Wednesday, but since morning, the two parties were in opposition inside the auditorium of the association regarding the election management committee.
There was a spat between Awami League and BNP-backed lawyers. Pro-BNP lawyers were protesting to demand the formation of a new election commission. At this time, pro-BNP lawyers could be seen chanting slogans inside the auditorium saying, "We want the commission first, then the election". In the context of the heated situation, a large number of policemen entered the Shaheed Shafiur Rahman Auditorium of the Supreme Court Lawyers Association election polling station around 11:40 to control the situation.
Journalists were taking pictures and video footage of the incident. At that time, some journalists and lawyers were assaulted by the police.
At least 10 journalists were attacked by the police while performing their professional duties in the Supreme Court Bar Association elections. ATN News journalist Javed Akhtar is in critical condition among the injured. He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Others who were injured are - Prothom Alo photojournalist Shubhra Kanti Dash, Jago News senior journalist Fazlul Haque, Ajker newspaper's Noor Mohammad, Independent Television's Jannatul Ferdous, Boishakhi Television's camera person Ibrahim Hossain, ATN Bangla's camera person Humayun Kabir, Manabzamin's Abdullah Al Maruf.
Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddiqui has expressed concern over the police attack on journalists while performing their professional duties around the Supreme Court Bar Association elections.
He expressed regret and said that he is shocked by this incident. Everyone should be careful while performing duties. He also assured to take action against the accused policemen. He gave this assurance when a delegation of journalists led by the president of Law Reporters Forum went to the Chief Justice's office on Wednesday (March 15) afternoon to file a complaint. Meanwhile, the Chief Justice asked to submit a written complaint regarding the attack.