Media attack in Gopalganj during NCP rally raises serious concerns
Media attack in Gopalganj during the ‘July March’ organized by the National Citizen Party (NCP) has triggered strong condemnation and serious concern from the Online Editors Alliance.
In an official statement issued to the media on Wednesday (July 16), Hasan Sharif, President of the Alliance, and Mizanur Rahman Sohel, General Secretary, said: “The attack on media vehicles is a heinous and illegal act. The perpetrators must be identified and punished promptly to set an example.”
According to confirmed reports, vehicles carrying journalists from Ekattor TV, Star News, and Multimedia were attacked. Local correspondents from Jamuna TV and Kaler Kantho were also injured in the incident. The alliance stressed that such violence poses a direct threat to journalists’ safety and freedom while performing their professional duties. They demanded immediate and effective legal measures against those responsible.
Furthermore, the alliance urged the authorities to ensure safety for all media professionals across Gopalganj and other parts of the country. They also called for urgent steps to restore law and order and bring peace back to public life.
Multiple sources have confirmed that members of government-affiliated security forces were behind the attack. The Online Editors Alliance alleged that the NCP’s so-called march in Gopalganj mirrored its previous attack on Bangabandhu’s residence at 32 Dhanmondi, Dhaka. This time, the same “petty thuggish forces” allegedly aimed to attack Bangabandhu’s ancestral home in Tungipara under the guise of a political rally.
Media attack in Gopalganj must not go unpunished, and the press must be safeguarded from such politically motivated aggression.
