Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the perpetrators of the heinous attacks carried out on journalists on 28 October will not be spared.
“The country had witnessed a lot of movements and struggles. But there is no incident of attacking journalists in such a targeted way [in any movement]. The attacks were attempted to murder as they targeted the journalists to hit their heads. I have no words to regret it,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina made the remarks when a group of journalists, who were injured in the terrible attacks during the opposition BNP’s rally in Dhaka on 28 October, met her at her official residence Ganabhaban this morning.
“The culprits have to be brought to justice by scrutinising the image and video footage of the incidents,” she added.
Saying that attacks were also carried out on the house of the chief justice, judges’ quarters, and on-duty police members, the prime minister said, “There is no previous instance of attacking the house of the chief justice.”
She added, “The order givers [of such heinous acts] also must face the music.”
Sheikh Hasina asked the people of the country to stay alert as conspiracies are being hatched at home and abroad to thwart the upcoming general election scheduled for 7 January.
At the outset of the programme, she inquired about the health of the injured journalists.
A video documentary with the statements of the injured journalists was screened at the function, highlighting the inhumane torture the media people went through on 28 October.
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim gave the welcome speech, while senior journalists from different media houses were present at the event moderated by Jatiya Press Club General Secretary Shyamal Dutta.
Editor-in-Chief of Ekattor TV and President of the Editors Guild, Bangladesh, Mozammel Babu, and Head of News of Ekattor TV Shakil Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.