Rafia Tamanna, editorial assistant at the English-language daily New Age, and her brother were physically assaulted on April 2, after confronting a group of men who allegedly harassed the pair near their residence in the Banasree area of Dhaka.

According to Tamanna, the incident began when three to four young men followed her after emerging from a nearby shop and stood uncomfortably close. She alleges the group directed inappropriate comments toward her, prompting her brother to intervene. When Tamanna tried to defend her brother, she reported being groped and kicked during the altercation.

Following a complaint filed with Rampura Police Station, authorities arrested three individuals in connection to the incident. Two of the suspects were named in the case, while the third is being investigated for alleged involvement.

In a separate attack, Sajedul Islam Selim, editor of the Daily Prantojon and a lecturer at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib College in Chandrakala, was assaulted while returning home from work on April 6. A group of unidentified men affiliated with the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) intercepted Selim near Chandrakala Bazar, forcibly taking him to a nearby tea stall where they robbed him of his mobile phone and beat him with cricket stumps and bamboo sticks.

The attackers also vandalised his motorcycle and threatened him “not to return to the college” before fleeing the scene. Selim was rushed to Sadar Hospital, sustaining multiple fractures to his arms and hands.

The same day, Selim filed an attempted murder case with Natore Sadar Police, naming seven individuals and accusing an additional ten to fifteen unnamed suspects. On April 7, authorities arrested two people in Chandrakala in connection to the attack.

Selim alleged the assault was linked to the BNP Covenor, Rahim Newaj, who sought to replace the college principal. Selim had previously opposed the interference of BNP members during his position with the college Managing Committee.

The BMSF said: “BMSF strongly condemns and protests the attack on New Age woman journalist, Rafia Tamanna, and college lecturer and editor, Sajedul Islam Selim. We urgently appeal to the government to make an example of punishing the culprits involved in both cases. BMSF also thanks the law enforcement team for the arrest of the three torturers”.

The IFJ said: “Journalists and media workers must be able to perform their duties without retribution, with these recent attacks indicative of the alarming threats facing the Bangladesh’s media community. Authorities must ensure investigations are conducted transparently and perpetrators are held to account.”