Rangpur, Sept 21 (V7N) — Senior journalist Liaqat Ali Badal of Dainik Sangbad, Ekushey Television, and Bangla Tribune was reportedly abducted and harassed on Sunday in Rangpur following a news report on alleged auto-rickshaw licensing and a business deal worth Tk 5 Corer linked to local groups. The incident has sparked outrage among media personnel and calls for swift legal action.
 
According to sources, the report titled “July Fighters’ Auto-Rickshaw Licenses and Tk 5 Crore Trade Manipulation in Rangpur” was published by Dainik Sangbad. Around 11:30 am, Liaqat Ali Badal was allegedly taken from the Court Mosque area by a group of seven to eight young men led by an individual named Rocky, claiming affiliation with the July Fighters. He was forced into an auto-rickshaw and brought to the front gate of Rangpur City Corporation, then dragged to the second floor of a newly constructed building into the City Corporation Officer’s room. There, he was reportedly coerced into apologizing to the Officer-in-Charge (CIO) for the news report and verbally abused.
 
Journalists from various media outlets arrived at the scene around noon after receiving news of the abduction and rescued Badal. They staged an immediate protest demanding the arrest of those responsible within 24 hours and called for the removal of CIO Umme Fatema.
 
As the journalists began to leave, tensions escalated when a City Corporation official and the CIO arrived. Several newly appointed employees allegedly associated with the ruling Awami League again attempted to intimidate the journalists. Police and military personnel intervened, assuring the media that their demands would be addressed, after which the journalists left the site.
 
The incident highlights ongoing concerns over press freedom and the safety of journalists in Bangladesh, prompting media organizations to demand urgent accountability and protection measures for reporters covering sensitive local issues.
 
END/RHB/SMA/