Cops assault 2 journalists

Police assaulted two television journalists of ATN News at Shahbagh police station in the capital on Thursday when they were filming cops’ action against an anti-Rampal protester, during the hartal hours, witnesses said.
The assault was so intense that the right leg of ATN reporter, Esan Bin Didar, was fractured. 
Video journalist Abdul Alim received injuries on his dead and other parts of the body, around 2:00pm.
Both the journalists were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. 
Meanwhile, police authorities suspended an assistant sub-inspector, Ershad Mondal, of Shahbagh police station and identified more than a dozen members of riot police, for their excesses, based on video footage and photographs. 
The brutality took place just three days after a junior police official in Dhaka on Monday had demanded repeal of the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act 2013, claiming that police were being harassed by false cases under the law.
The victim journalists said they were covering half-day strike in city, enforced by the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, as part of their demand for scrapping Rampal coal-based power plant near the Sunderbans.
Didar said Alim was filming as police were beating and dragging a protester, Mizanur Rahman, into the police station.
As they continued filming, some cops abruptly attacked Alim. ‘I came under attack once I tried to rescue my colleague from police,’ said Didar.
He said police had been beating them fiercely amid shouts by a less-belligerent cop, ‘hey, he is a journalist, don’t attack on his face, beat on his leg.’
Later, in a parade, where senior police officials were present, the victims identified a few of the attackers. 
The Ramna police division deputy commissioner, Maruf Hossain Sardar, said that it was upsetting that the aggression took place during the Police Week. 
‘We have suspended a cop and that we are trying to determine the identities of the others,’ said Maruf. 
He said a three-member committee led by an additional deputy commissioner, Navid Kamal Shaibal, was formed. He has been asked to submit the probe report in two working days.
Among the 12 policemen, authorities named three cops. Police said actions against them would be taken as the probe ends.
Preparation of filing a case against the perpetrators was underway as of 9:30pm. 

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