Another attack on a journalist

We are appalled by the news of a journalist—Jahangir Alam Shahin—being assaulted and tortured allegedly by BGB men in Kulaghat while he was trying to get information on incidents of drug smuggling in the area.

According to Jahangir Alam, he had gone to Kulaghat area in Lalmonirhat with a local named Sohag to report on drug smuggling at 11:30 pm on Thursday, April 15. He was talking to some BGB men when the Camp Commander came and started assaulting him and Sohag. Jahangir says that the BGB men took both of them to the camp and beat them up, with Sohag being released afterwards, while Jahangir was kept in custody. Jahangir has described how he was allegedly beaten with sticks and kicked mercilessly. What is most shocking is that Jahnagir was taken to Lalmonirhat Sadar police station with his hands and waist tied with a rope and with a bottle of phensidyl that the BGB men claimed was found on him. A case was filed against him for possession of drugs. Thankfully, a virtual court granted him bail.