2024-12-01 06:22:50
A prominent woman journalist in Bangladesh was mobbed and briefly detained by a group of people in the heart of Dhaka on Saturday and had to be rescued by police.
The incident occurred in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area as Munni Saha, an eminent TV personality, was leaving a media office. The mob accused Saha of being an Indian agent and a supporter of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a popular uprising in August.
Local media reports suggest that the journalist’s car was intercepted by the mob, who hurled abuse and accusations at her, prompting intervention from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Saha was whisked off in a police car, while the surrounding crowd raised slogans against her.
Saha was initially taken to Tejgaon Police Station before being transferred to the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) office. This fuelled online speculation that she had been arrested.
However, police clarified that the senior journalist was not detained, and was released early on Sunday morning. They further stated that during the ordeal, she experienced a panic attack and fell ill.
“Police did not detain Munni Saha. She was surrounded by a group of people at Kawran Bazar outside her office. Later, Tejgaon police took her to the DB office for security reasons,” a police official told Daily Observer, a Bangladeshi news outlet.
The official added that Saha is an accused in four cases and must appear in court to seek bail and comply with future police summons.
There was no statement from the police regarding action taken against the individuals who harassed Saha.
The incident is part of a broader crackdown on journalists in Bangladesh since the fall of the Hasina government. Dozens of journalists have faced backlash, accusations of bias, and legal troubles.
The caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has cancelled the accreditation of numerous journalists, and many have been booked by police in connection with several cases.
Recent weeks have seen protests outside the offices of leading newspapers like Prothom Alo and Daily Star.
