BANGLADESH NEWS
Interns at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday once again assaulted at least eight journalists when they went to the DMCH premises to gather news.
The interns aided by Bangladesh Chhatra League activists and outsiders also ransacked DMCH reporters' temporary office, broke journalists' cameras and a motorcycle in presence of police.
Sheikh Nuruzzaman Roni, a wounded journalist, told the incident occurred after a patient came to the temporary office at around 12:30pm.
Ariful Haque Chowdhury Ripon, who was released yesterday, along with his wife Bonya Chowdhury came to the office near the DMCH police camp to share their experience.
"As a group of angry interns along with several Chhatra League activists and outsiders were approaching, other journalists left the room. We also locked the door. But they broke into the room and swooped on the patient, his wife and me," Roni added.
The interns ransacked the office and locked it again. They also posted a banner at the emergency gate mentioning a ban on journalists' entrance to DMCH.
"They brought us at DMCH director's room and sent me with the patient by an ambulance. But I got down from the ambulance at Nilkhet," the journalist said.
After the incident leaders of different journalists' organisations including Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) and Crime Reporters' Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) went to DMCH to talk with the authorities. At one stage, a band of 30-40 interns, BCL activists and outsiders led by DMCH Deputy Director Dr Mashiur Rahman again swooped on them and beat up the journalists at 2:00pm.
They broke two cameras and a motorcycle, and beat them up.
The injured are GTV reporter Sayedur Islam, Focus Bangla photojournalist Dipu Hazra, Desh TV reporter Mahmudul Hasan, Daily Jugantor senior reporter Moniruzzaman Ujjal, Justnews reporter Mustafijur Rahman Sumon, Bhorer Kagaj reporter Ashlam, Daily Bangladesh Pratidin reporter Alamgir Hossain and Daily Karatoa staff reporter Rudra Rasel.
Injured journalists received treatment at different city hospitals including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
CRAB president Aktaruzzaman Lavlu said a group of doctors suddenly attacked them in presence of police when they went to DMCH to talk about the incident with the authorities.
"The doctors attacked journalists and ransacked their room though they didn't enter the hospital today [yesterday] according to the authorities' direction. We wanted to talk about the issue with the director, yet they attacked us," he added.
The journalists were being attacked for last three days in presence of police, he alleged.
Dr Mashiur Rahman denied the allegation of his involvement in the incident. But he declined to comment further on the incident.
"Journalists are responsible for overall indiscipline in the hospital. They take photographs without the authorities' consent and roam all over the hospital. It can't be accepted," Dr Mushfiqur Rahman told Tuesday.
Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh police, told nobody was arrested following the incident. He did not say anything about the role of police.
Meanwhile, in a formal letter "upon discussions with patients, doctors and visitors", DMCH authorities on Sunday imposed restrictions on journalists' access to the hospital. They also directed the journalists to obtain permission from the authorities for entry during and after the office hours.
The authorities have also banned taking photographs inside the facility without permission.
Recently, a senior doctor has recently reportedly assaulted a patient physically. The news was published in several newspapers.
According to the reports, Ariful Haque Chowdhury Ripon, who was injured in a road accident, was admitted to DMCH on June 29.
The doctor pulled Ripon off his bed, slapped him and discharged him from the hospital after an altercation between Ripon and a female intern over dressing his wounds on July 17.
The interns later staged demonstrations on DMCH premises and assaulted six journalists "in protest against" publication of the news.
The authorities also termed the news "false and ill-motivated" and imposed restrictions on the media's access to "restore discipline” on the hospital campus.
However, medical representatives and visitors were seen coming to the hospital every now and then. In the past few months even some incidents of theft of new born baby and burglaries took place at the hospital.
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