Madaripur, August 7 (V7N) – A journalist and his two brothers were seriously injured in an armed attack during a victory procession organized by the Madaripur district unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), held to commemorate the July Uprising and July Revolution Day.
 
The incident took place around 12:45 PM on Wednesday near the DC Bridge area in Madaripur town. Shahidul Islam Likhon Munshi, a district correspondent for the daily Amar Barta, along with his brothers Milon Munshi and Sohag Munshi, were attacked with locally made sharp weapons by a group of unidentified assailants who allegedly had prior intent to carry out the assault.
 
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, the BNP's district unit had organized a victory procession starting from the Shakuni Lake area towards Iterpool as part of its July Revolution Day events. When the rally reached the DC Bridge, the assailants suddenly launched a brutal attack on Likhon Munshi, targeting him with sharp weapons. His two brothers were also hacked when they tried to intervene to save him.
 
All three victims were initially rushed to the Madaripur 250-bed District General Hospital. Due to the severity of their injuries, Shahidul Islam Likhon and Sohag Munshi were later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
 
The incident reportedly took place in the presence of Madaripur Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Adil Hossain and accompanying police personnel. However, local residents allege that police failed to take immediate action during the attack, raising concerns about law enforcement's responsiveness.
 
The attack has sparked outrage among the local journalist community, who condemned the assault as a blatant attempt to silence press freedom and demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
 
Speaking from his hospital bed, Milon Munshi said, “My brother was being hacked with weapons. When my other brother and I tried to protect him, we were also attacked. I recognized several of the attackers, but I won’t name them now. Legal action will be taken.”
 
In a statement to the media, Additional Superintendent of Police in Madaripur, Jahangir Alam, said that preliminary investigations suggest the attack may have been linked to a previous criminal case. “Shahidul Islam Likhon Munshi and his brother are accused in the murder case of Shakil Munshi, son of local labour party leader Mofazzal Munshi, which occurred on March 23 this year. The attack appears to be a continuation of that dispute,” he said.
 
He added that efforts are underway to arrest those involved, and that while police were nearby during the incident, the attack had already begun before officers could intervene.
 
Tensions remain high in the area following the incident, with increased police patrols deployed to prevent further violence.
 
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