Mozammel Babu, Shyamal Dutta were fleeing to India shaving beard, moustache
Ekattor Television CEO Mozammel Haque Babu and Dainik Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamal Dutta who were detained while fleeing to India through Dhobaura border in Mymensingh district illegally were handed over to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) at about 3:00pm on Monday.
Besides, arrested Ekattor TV’s senior reporter Jamson Mahbub and private car driver Selim were also handed over to the DMP.
Dhobaura Police Station OC Md Chan Mia handed them over to a team of the DMP.
They were later brought in Dhaka.
Local people caught them along with their private car at a place between Maizpara and Porakandulia on Dhobaura frontier when they were fleeing to India early Monday morning.
Our Mymensingh correspondent reports that they were trying to flee to Meghalaya state of India through Dhobaura border in Mymensingh district. Before trying to flee to India, they shaved their beards and moustache.
They were beaten by locals and then handed over to Dhobaura Police Station.
Locals said a private car drove towards the border sometime through Ghoshber frontier and sometime towards Darshapara area. At one stage, locals became suspicious about the matter and intercepted the private car. They wanted to know the identities of private car passengers. At first, none could identify them as Mozammel Haque Babu had already
shaved his moustache and Shyamal Dutta cut his beard. Later at one stage of talks with the locals, they introduced themselves. Then the locals physically assaulted them and handed them over to police.
It is learnt that Babu, Shyamal and Jamson went to Dhobaura to flee to Shillong, the capital of the Indian state of Meghalaya. They were trying to cross the border with the help of local BNP leaders Raju and Mushfiq.
However, Raju and Mushfiq’s could not be contacted. Ekattor TV’s senior reporter Jamson Mahbub said, “I hail from Mymensingh Sadar upazila. Our sir Mozammel Hossain Babu asked me to take them to border. Then we went to Mymensigh from Dhaka and then to Dhobaura border at night by a private car. When we were about to reach Dhobaura border, 10 motorcycles waylaid our car. They first detained us. Being confirmed about our identities, they punched on our faces and took away our moneybags containing taka. When they found Tk 300 only in my moneybag, they returned it to me hurling abusive languages. But, I am unable to say how much did they take from my Sirs.”
Shyamal Dutta told local journalists that those who caught them took away Tk 30,000 from him. He also requested journalists to not make any news report about their detention.
In the afternoon, leaders and workers of local BNP and its affiliated organisations, staged demonstration in front of Dhobaura Police Station and demanded speedy trial of Shyamal Dutta and Mozammel Babu, oiling and greasing journalists of Sheikh Hasina, for extending support to the Hasina regime to kill students and people. They also hurled eggs at them and punched them on their bodies while they were being picked on a police car. However, police left Dhobaura for Dhaka with them on board the car hurriedly.
Dhobaura Police Station OC Md Chan Mia said local people handed the arrested persons to them at about 6:30am. They were handed over to a team of the DMP and then they left for Dhaka at about 3:30pm. Later police from DMP took them to Dhaka.
Earlier, a 16-member DMP team led by additional police super Shahjahan went to Dhobaura Police Station on Monday afternoon. There are cases against Mozammel Babu and Shyamal Dutta with different police stations under the DMP.
Shyamal Dutta is the editor of the Daily Bhorer Kagoj and former general secretary of Jatiya Press Club. Mozammel Babu is the managing director of Ekattor TV. Earlier, immigration police returned Shyamal Dutta and his family while they were fleeing to India.
