Journos injured, Ansar man loses rifle

Three journalists have been injured and an Ansar member has lost his rifle as villagers attacked a team from Titas Gas that has gone to cut illegal gas connections at Narsinghdi. The incident happened at Mulparha village under Panchdona union of the Sadar Upazila on Wednesday. The injured are Channel 9 Narsinghdi correspondent Ayub Khan Sarkar, 40, Somoy TV cameraman Kawsar Ahmed, 40, and Channel 24 cameraman Lakshman Barman, 28. They were first admitted to the Narsinghdi General Hospital and then shifted to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR). A three-member committee has been formed to probe the incident. Narsinghdi Executive Magistrate Zahirul Hayat said a team led by him and Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co’s Narsingdi Manager Md Shahidul Islam disconnected about 500 illegal gas connections at Mulparha village on Wednesday morning. Villagers attacked the team during the drive, he said. Hayat said the attackers took away the rifle of Ansar member Abul Kalam when he jumped into a pond to get away from the mayhem. The villagers assaulted the newsman as they tried to take record of the incident. Narsinghdi district's Deputy Commissioner Abu Hena Morshed Zaman and Additional Superintendent of Police Shahnewaz Khaled later went to the hospital to see the injured journalists, according to bdnews24.com.