By Masud Karim
Dhaka [Bangladesh], September 16 : Bangladesh police have detained two senior journalists from an area near the India-Bangladesh border in northern Mymensingh, a senior police official said on Monday.
"Journalists Shyamal Dutta and Mozammel Babu were detained by the local people and handed over to the police", the police official toldover phone.
Shyamal Dutta is a former general secretary of National Press Club, Dhaka and Editor of Bengali daily Bhorer Kagoj. Mozammel Babu is the owner of private television channel, 71 TV.
"There is a case against the two detained journalists and we have kept them in safe custody", the official added, without giving further details. The detained journalists are alleged to be close to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A month ago, a student-led movement ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people. Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5 and an interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.
Meanwhile, days after reports of miscreants in Bangladesh targeting Sufi shrines emerged, devotees and volunteers have taken it upon themselves to protect the shrines from any potential threats.
Recently, local media reported that some "miscreants" attacked Hazrat Shah Paran shrine in Sylhet late at night while devotees were observing Urs at the shrine.
The Bangladesh interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, condemned the attacks and asked security forces to take action.
"It has come to our notice that a group of miscreants have been attacking Sufi shrines and Mazars in the country over the past few days. The Interim Government condemns in the strongest terms any hate speech and attack on the religious and cultural sites and the Sufi shrines. The government is acting to bring the unscrupulous forces involved in the attacks to books and initiate stringent legal actions against them. The law enforcing agencies have been instructed to take adequate measures to protect the religious shrines and cultural sites," the office of the chief adviser said in a statement.
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