Journalists in Shariatpur formed a human chain on Sunday demanding exemplary punishment and withdrawal of drug addict Ershaduzzaman Mridul, an Executive Engineer of Shariatpur Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE).
The human chain was formed in front of Shariatpur Deputy Commissioner's Office. Journalist leaders have threatened to announce a tough program if Ershaduzzaman is not withdrawn soon.
During the human chain, journalist leaders strongly condemned the incident and demanded punishment for the culprit. Later, on behalf of Shariatpur Press Club and Shariatpur Electronic Media Journalists Association, they sent a memorandum through the Deputy Commissioner to the Senior Secretary of Local Government Division.
Shariatpur Press Club President Anol Kumar Dey, General Secretary Abdus Samad Talukder, Vice President Sheikh Khalilur Rahman, Joint Secretary Monir Hossain Sajid, President of Shariatpur Electronic Media Journalists Association Roknuzzaman Parvez, General Secretary Shahiduzzaman Khan and others were present at the time.
According to the journalists in the human chain, the president of Shariatpur Electronic Media Journalists Association and ATN Bangla, ATN News and Daily Bangladesh Pratidin correspondent Roknuzzaman Parvez and GTV correspondent Md. Manik Mollah went to the room of the Executive Engineer of Shariatpur Public Health Engineering Department to collect news.
When they went there, he saw that Executive Engineer Ershaduzzaman Mridul was smoking cannabis. When they tried to record that he snatched their mobile phones, cameras, physically harassed and kept the journalists locked in his office.
Shahiduzzaman Khan, GS of Shariatpur Electronic Media Journalists Association, said, "If the drug-addict Executive Engineer is not withdrawn and given exemplary punishment soon, we will be forced to take tougher action."
War-wounded Freedom Fighter Abdus Samad Talukder, GS of Shariatpur Press Club said, “The executive engineer has been committing various irregularities and corruption in Shariatpur since beginning. He took drug inside his office and insulted Journalists when they went to record it. Where does he get such courage?”
Anol Kumar Dey, GS of the district AL unit and President of Shariatpur Press Club said, “It was unfortunate that a drug-addicted officer would take drugs in his office and then insult journalists. I demand the withdrawal, arrest and proper investigation of that officer.”