Up to 12 journalists freed after curfew-time arrest

Dhaka, Aug 22 (bdnews24.com)—The police have released up to 12 journalists, two hours after their arrest during the curfew Wednesday night, police and reporters said. Asif Ahmed Rommo, senior sub-editor of bdnews24.com, who was arrested along with two colleagues, phoned the office from home after his release. "I walked home. We were kept at Mohammadpur Police Station for two hours," Rommo said. Mohammadpur police sub-inspector Muktar Hossain told bdnews24.com that all the journalists were freed. Scores of journalists were arrested or beaten by the army during the first few hours of the curfew. Army officers arrested three journalists—Liton Haider, Biplob Rahman and Rommo—as they were heading home after work. They were stopped at a checkpoint, 200 metres from the bdnews24.com office in Dhanmondi. After the arrest, the driver of the autorickshaw they were travelling in returned to break the news that the three were taken away by uniformed officers even after they showed their press ID cards. Earlier, a group of army personnel beat two bdnews24.com journalists as they were standing outside their office with colleagues. The army also severely beat Sanaul Haque, a New Age photographer, the newspaper's acting chief reporter Shahiduzzaman told bdnews24.com. Anis Alamgir, head of news for private TV station Baishakhi, was also arrested and taken to Mohammadpur Police Station. Abdul Majid, a journalist of Samokal, was also arrested and taken to Mohammadpur Police Station. It was not clear where he was arrested. In a statement earlier in the day, the government said people who were required to travel during the curfew must collect passes from the metropolitan police authorities for safe passage. "But if somebody fails to collect passes from the police, he can use a passport, air ticket, ID card or other documents for the time being," the government said.