BNP men attack BLITZ Editor

On Thursday, 5^th October 2006, at around 1:00 pm., a mob of 35-40 people equipped with arms and weapons attacked the office of Weekly Blitz under the leadership of leaders of the Cultural Wing of the ruling party.

The attackers, led by Helal Khan, International Affairs Secretary of JASAS and Babul Ahmed, Secretary General of JASAS entered the Blitz office and started beating the editor and other staffs in the office. Helal Khan smashed the spectacle of the editor with punch and snatched his ‘Motorola’ mobile phone set. Then the mob started severe assault, while some of the members of the team, took away TK. 42,000 cash from the left pocket of the trouser of the editor while other members broke the vault of the company and looted TK. 350,000 cash. The attackers forced the editor to the staircase of the company and forced him to leave the office. More than 20 armed hooligans belonging to the same group were seen on the street as well. Right after the incident, the editor rushed to the Shahbagh Police Station and sought his assistance in lodging a formal case against the attackers, for physical assault and looting of properties. But, Office-in-Charge Rezaul denied lodging any complaint. He rather asked the editor to go back to his (editor’s) residence and see change the torn clothe and see the officer after few hours. But, meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police had come to know about the matter and instructed the Officer-in-charge of any nearby police station to rush to the spot. At this stage, OC, Paltan rushed to the spot and he called the Blitz editor’s cell phone with the request of going back to the Blitz office. After the editor was back, Babul Ahmed, leader of the cultural wing on BNP shouted saying, “You man, agent of Jews, how you are here. I read in the newspaper you were already convicted for life sentence.”

More interestingly, on 6^th October 2006, at 2:14 pm, we received a phone call from a cell phone number 01711975453. The caller named Ruhul Amin told us that leaders of BNP’s Cultural Wing, Babul Ahmed has instructed the Blitz editor to meet him by. 3:30 pm. We told the caller that the editor is on complete bed rest because of yesterday’s assault. Then he asked us to send a written bond from the editor to Babul Ahmed and Helal Khan (both leaders of JASAS) saying that the Blitz editor will not make any complaint about yesterday’s incident to any court or departments in Bangladesh. The caller threatened of dire consequence by Friday night, if the letter was not made available within the given time. On behalf of Weekly Blitz, we are going to inform all the departments in the government and law enforcing agencies about this matter. Weekly Blitz appeals to its readers, patrons, well wishers and supporters to kindly send an immediate reaction on this incident to the nearest Bangladesh Embassy, demanding immediate arrest of the attackers and stern punishment under the law of the country. For further details on this incident, please contact Dr. Richard L. Benkin at + 1-847-9226426 or email him at drrbenkin@comcast.net