Journalist beaten up in front of judge in court

A journalist was physically assaulted by a group of lawyers inside a Dhaka courtroom on Thursday during a bail hearing in an Anti-Terrorism Act case.

The incident took place in the presence of a sitting judge.

The victim, Asif Mohammad Siam, a reporter for private television channel Somoy TV, was attacked while covering the hearing in the courtroom of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasib Ullah Piyas.

He was punched and kicked by several lawyers and sustained injuries.

The hearing involved bail petitions for 16 individuals, including former minister Latif Siddiqui and journalist Manjurul Alam Panna, who were arrested on August 28 from a Dhaka Reporters Unity event under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Eyewitnesses said that tensions escalated after journalist Muktadir Rashid Romeo asked Panna if he had been mistreated in custody. When Panna responded, lawyer Mohiuddin Mahi asked Romeo to leave the courtroom. Romeo replied that only the judge had the authority to make that request.

Following a brief verbal exchange, lawyer Mahi attempted to assault Romeo. When Siam intervened, he was attacked. Witnesses said Siam was dragged outside the courtroom and beaten by several lawyers. Police present at the scene did not intervene.

The presiding judge temporarily left the courtroom during the incident. Siam was later rescued by a prosecution lawyer and taken to safety. He later told reporters: “I was beaten in front of the judge without any reason. I want justice.”

When contacted, Dhaka Bar Association General Secretary Syed Nazrul Islam said he was not present at the time but arrived shortly after to defuse the situation and called both parties for a discussion.

After order was restored, the court resumed proceedings and rejected the bail petitions of Latif Siddiqui and Manjurul Alam Panna.