Death Threat Over News Report Sparks Human Chain Protest

Staff Reporter

Journalists in Uttara staged a human chain protest after senior journalist Badruzzaman Majumder reportedly received a death threat for sharing a news article about an illegal business grab involving a disabled youth. The threat was allegedly issued by a local BNP leader, Al Amin Sarkar alias Shamim Al Mamun, and his brother Moim Sarkar.

The protest was held today (Tuesday) at 5 PM in front of the Uttara Press Club, located near the canal in Sector 12. Journalists demanded immediate legal action against the accused BNP leader and his brother.

According to reports, a young man with disabilities named Nahid recently accused BNP leader Al Amin Sarkar of forcefully taking over his brick and stone business in the Faydabad area of Dakshinkhan. Nahid’s protest gained media attention, with several outlets publishing the story. Badruzzaman Majumder, senior vice-president of the Uttara Press Club, shared one such report on his Facebook account. Following that, Al Amin Sarkar and his associates allegedly created a mob atmosphere and sent an audio threat suggesting the journalist be killed. Additionally, a smear campaign against Majumder was launched on social media using fake accounts.

At the protest, journalist leaders accused Al Amin of having a criminal background. They noted that as the president of BNP’s Ward 47 unit, Al Amin was arrested in 2016 with yaba tablets and spent nearly five months in jail. After August 5 of that year, he allegedly began misusing his party position to take control of local businesses, including supplying construction materials and monopolizing waste collection and internet services in the area—with the backing of senior party leaders.

Speaking at the protest, Badruzzaman Majumder said Al Amin is known for his aggressive behavior, while his brother Moim is an active leader of a local teen gang. Al Amin was previously expelled from the BNP after a violent incident at a program in Mirpur but regained his post through the influence of a senior police official. Majumder added that criminal gangs in the area, reportedly operating under the name of BNP, are being used to control extortion worth millions of takas and silence critics.

Majumder stated: “The threat came solely because I shared a news report. I’ve led the Uttara Press Club twice, even during authoritarian regimes. I’ve worked with people from all political backgrounds—BNP, Awami League, Jamaat. This kind of intimidation is not new. During the July Movement, I was arrested from Uttara. Yet now, drug dealers are spreading misinformation about me online.”

Journalist Ismail Ahsan from BSS and a National Press Club leader described the threat as a return to fascism and condemned it as shameful and unacceptable. He said, “One can hold a press conference in protest of any report—but threats and intimidation are never justified. We urge political parties to take stern action against such individuals.”

Farid Ahmed Nayon, a member of Uttara Press Club, stated, “As journalists, we will continue to write. Those who try to silence us with threats must be held accountable.”

Shiper Mahmud, assistant editor of Kholakagoj, said, “If a journalist faces threats simply for reporting the truth, it endangers not just that individual, but press freedom as a whole.”

AK Azad, president of Uttara Press Club, called the threat “a disgrace for the new Bangladesh.” He warned that if the BNP fails to take action against those spreading lies and issuing threats, journalists nationwide would unite for tougher protests.

Al Amin Hossain, a reporter for Kaler Kantho, said it’s the media’s duty to reflect society—and if threats to journalists' lives become the consequence of that duty, the state must bear responsibility. He demanded punishment for the BNP leader and his accomplices.

The protest, conducted by Uttara Press Club’s organizing secretary Zubayer Ahmed, featured speeches from veteran journalists including Momtaz Uddin, Khokon, Ittefaq reporter Muhammad Jahangir Kabir, Channel S’s Torik Shibli, Kholakagoj’s Uttara reporter Mahfuz Alam Khokon, Ekushey TV’s Iman, MyTV’s Shahjalal Jewel, and others.

Over a hundred journalists residing in Uttara participated in the demonstration.