More details have emerged of the attack on journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim.
A local journalist Muzahid Babu said he was with Nadim when Wednesday night's attack took place in Jamalpur's Bakshiganj upazila.
Nadim died from his injuries around 2:30pm yesterday at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, a day after the attack.
"I and Nadim were returning home at around 10:00pm riding on two separate motorbikes. When we were close to Bakshiganj College, someone hit Nadim from behind with a stick causing Nadim to fall on the ground," said Muzahid.
Instantly, some 10 to 12 people, equipped with sticks and iron rods, dragged Nadim to a nearby dark alleyway.
"The chairman's son Faisal was in the group. Faisal also threatened to kill me, if I tried to protect Nadim," Muzahid told The Daily Star today referring to Mahmodul Alam Babu, chairman of Sadhurpara union parishad of Bakshiganj upazila.
"I saw the chairman, Mahmudul, standing behind a brick wall in the alleyway. After the attackers took Nadim into the alleyway, the chairman's son Faisal took a brick and hit Nadim's head with it," said Muzahid.
"Then, I called another local journalist Lalon, who rushed to the spot within a few minutes. Lalon and I entered the dark alleyway and found Nadim lying on the ground. By this time, the attackers left the scene," he added.
"We rescued Nadim and took him to the hospital," said Muzahid.
Earlier, Nadim's relatives and local journalists accused Mahmodul Alam of orchestrating the killing.
His family members and colleagues alleged that Nadim was attacked for reporting on Mahmudul's corruption, also the general secretary of Sadhurpara union Awami League.
Mahmudul Alam rejected the allegations and said he had no dispute with Nadim.
According to Nadim's family and local journalist, the UP chairman filed a case against Nadim and other journalists under the Digital Security Act with Mymensingh Cyber Tribunal on May 14, four days after Nadim's report was published on Banglanews24.com.
Recently, the cyber tribunal summarily dismissed the case.
Nadim and the other journalists came to know about the dismissal of the case on Wednesday, hours before he was attacked, according to family and witnesses.-The Daily Star
