Bangladeshi Journalists Mozammel Babu and Shyamal Dutta Detained Near India-Bangladesh Border
By Masud Karim
Dhaka [Bangladesh], September 16: Bangladesh police have detained two senior journalists, Mozammel Babu and Shyamal Dutta, near the India-Bangladesh border in northern Mymensingh. A senior police official confirmed the detention on Monday.
Shyamal Dutta, a former general secretary of the National Press Club in Dhaka and Editor of the Bengali daily Bhorer Kagoj, and Mozammel Babu, the owner of the private television channel 71 TV, were handed over to the police by local people.
The police official stated, “There is a case against the two detained journalists, and we have kept them in safe custody,” without providing further details. The journalists are alleged to be close to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A month ago, a student-led movement ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after weeks of protests and clashes that resulted in over 600 deaths. Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5, and an interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.
Attacks on Sufi Shrines
Meanwhile, reports have emerged of miscreants targeting Sufi shrines in Bangladesh. Devotees and volunteers have taken it upon themselves to protect these shrines from potential threats. Recently, the Hazrat Shah Paran shrine in Sylhet was attacked late at night while devotees were observing Urs.
The interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, condemned the attacks and instructed security forces to take action. The office of the chief adviser stated, “It has come to our notice that a group of miscreants have been attacking Sufi shrines and Mazars in the country over the past few days. The Interim Government condemns in the strongest terms any hate speech and attack on the religious and cultural sites and the Sufi shrines. The government is acting to bring the unscrupulous forces involved in the attacks to books and initiate stringent legal actions against them. The law enforcing agencies have been instructed to take adequate measures to protect the religious shrines and cultural sites.”
Doubts Revealed
Mozammel Babu -: Mozammel Babu is a senior journalist from Bangladesh who owns a TV channel called 71 TV.
Shyamal Dutta -: Shyamal Dutta is a senior journalist and the editor of a Bengali newspaper called Bhorer Kagoj. He was also the general secretary of the National Press Club in Dhaka.
India-Bangladesh border -: The India-Bangladesh border is the line that separates the countries of India and Bangladesh. It is a place where people and goods can move between the two countries.
National Press Club -: The National Press Club is an organization for journalists in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It helps journalists with their work and supports press freedom.
Bhorer Kagoj -: Bhorer Kagoj is a Bengali daily newspaper in Bangladesh. It means ‘Morning Paper’ in English.
71 TV -: 71 TV is a television channel in Bangladesh owned by Mozammel Babu. It broadcasts news and other programs.
Sheikh Hasina -: Sheikh Hasina is a political leader in Bangladesh who was the Prime Minister. She was recently ousted, which means she lost her position.
Interim government -: An interim government is a temporary government set up to manage the country until a new, permanent government is established.
Muhammad Yunus -: Muhammad Yunus is a famous person from Bangladesh who won the Nobel Peace Prize. He is currently leading the interim government.
Sufi shrines -: Sufi shrines are special places where followers of Sufism, a mystical form of Islam, go to pray and show respect to their spiritual leaders.
