Muhith pledges body to probe Sylhet journalist\\\'s arrest

SYLHET, Aug 20 (UNB): Finance Minister AMA Muhith assured Wednesday the local journalists of forming a panel to look into the arrest and allegations brought against Manabzamin special correspondent Chowdhury Mumtaz Ahmed.

Muhith called Shafiul Alam Chowdhury, editor and publisher of the daily Uttorpubo, over mobile phone around 3:00 pm and talked to Sylhet Press Club president and Uttorpurbo chief editor Aziz Ahmed Selim over the arrest of Mumtaz.

During the telephonic conversation, Aziz informed the minister about the arrest of journalist on a 'false' charge and requested him to constitute a committee to independently investigate the incident.

In reply, Muhith assured him of forming a probe body through the Law Ministry in this connection.

Police arrested the senior journalist from a house at Sheikhghat in the city Tuesday morning. Later, he was shown arrested in a case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

Local journalists said Mumtaz went to the house of his friend Amin Uddin who sought a job for Tania Islam Moni.

As soon as the journalist arrived at the house, Moni, who was at the house, started shouting.

Later, a team of plain-clothes police, who took position in the area from earlier, arrested Mumtaz and Amin.

Then a patrol team of Kotwali thana took them to the thana where they were shown arrested in the case filed by Moni.

Local journalists alleged that police arrested Mumtaz as he published news on his newspaper on the corruption and irregularities of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP).