CU Chhatra Shakti leader allegedly harass journalists

A leader of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti has been accused of harassing a journalist and behaving inappropriately while the latter was covering one of the organization's political programs in Chattogram.

The allegations center on Abdullah Al Mahati, convener of the Chittagong University unit of Chhatra Shakti, who is accused of grabbing a journalist by the neck and later speaking disrespectfully to other journalists.

The incident reportedly took place on Monday (August 4) during a rally and procession organized by Jatiya Chhatra Shakti in the Kazir Dewri area of Chattogram city.

According to eyewitnesses and the journalists involved, Arafat Hossain, Chattogram correspondent for the online news outlet Times Today, was filming and taking photographs of the event when several activists approached him and asked for his identity. As he identified himself as a journalist and prepared to show his press card, Abdullah Al Mahati allegedly grabbed him by the neck and shoved him.

Arafat Hossain said that he was mistreated despite identifying himself as a journalist. He described the incident as an obstruction of his professional duties and said such behavior is contrary to the principles of a free press.

When NPB News correspondent Shahidul Islam Masum, Chattogram Pratidin reporter Abdur Rahman Imon, and Arafat Hossain approached the accused leader to protest the incident and seek an explanation, they too were allegedly subjected to rude and inappropriate behavior.

Abdur Rahman Imon alleged that Abdullah Al Mahati spoke to them in a disrespectful manner and, at one point, addressed him with the informal and derogatory Bengali pronoun "tui" before telling him to leave.

Attempts were made several times to contact Abdullah Al Mahati by phone for his response to the allegations, but his mobile phone was found to be switched off.

The incident has sparked outrage among journalists in Chattogram. Leaders of local journalist organizations stated that covering political events is both a constitutional and professional right of media workers. They said harassment of journalists while performing their duties is unacceptable under any circumstances and called for a proper investigation as well as organizational and legal action against those responsible.