Inquiry into massive police assault on cricket reporters

In Bangladesh, the government has set up an independent inquiry to find out why police attacked 20 sports journalists and photographers at Chittagong Divisonal Stadium during the lunch break of a cricket match between Bangladesh and Australia on Sunday 16 April.

Many of the journalists and photographers were hurt, three of them seriously, when police attacked them with fists, sticks and rifle butts. After a CT scanning one of the journalists had to undergo surgery for a serious injury to the head.

The journalists and photographers had staged a sit-down-strike on the pitch during the lunch break to protest against an unmotivated attack by the police on photographer Shamsul Haq Tanku that morning.

They demanded an unconditional apology from the policy and a suspension of the police officer in charge, Anwar Sattar. The situation had escalated when the police officer responsible for security, DC Ali Akbar, had lost his composure and brutally attacked the elderly photographer with kicks and blows with his fists.

According to the Asian Human Rights Commission approximately 25 police officers took part in the assault on the journalists and photographers who fled into the changing rooms for the home team. Here the cricket players provided comfort and first aid.

The Australian team captain Ricky Ponting filmed the assault on video and expressed his sympathy to those journalists who were hurt.

Cricket officials did not see anything
Despite the fact that the assault took place during the lunch break in front of the press and the audience, no officials from the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board saw the attack, the local newspaper Daily Star reports.

The episode led journalists to boycott all cricket activities under the auspices of the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (BCCB). The boycott was suspended however on 22 April when the Government established a judicial inquiry commission headed up by a sessions and district judge who is going to undertake an independent inquiry into the events.

According to the independent-bangladesh.com, State Minister of Home Affairs, Lutfuzzaman Baber, has apologized on behalf of the government for the police atrocities.