Perpetrators of 28 October attacks on journalists won't go unpunished: PM Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the perpetrators of the heinous attacks carried out on journalists on 28 October won't be spared.

"The country had witnessed a lot of movements and struggles. But there is no incident of attacking journalists in such a targeted way [in any movement]. The attacks were attempted to murder as they targeted the journalists to hit their heads. I have no words to regret it," she said.

The premier made the remarks when a group of journalists, who were injured in the terrible attacks during the opposition BNP's rally in Dhaka on 28 October last, met her at her official residence Ganabhaban this morning.

She said the perpetrators of such heinous acts will not be spared. "The culprits have to be brought to justice by scrutinising the image and video footages of the incidents," she added.

Saying that attacks were also carried out on the house of the chief justice, judges quarters and on duty police members, Hasina said, "There is no previous instance of attacking the house of the chief justice."

"The order givers [of such heinous acts] also must face the music," she went on.

The premier asked the people of the country to stay alert as conspiracies are being hatched at home and abroad to thwart the upcoming general election scheduled for 7 January.

At the outset of the programme, she inquired about the health of the injured journalists.

A video documentary with the statements of the injured journalists was screened in the function, highlighting the inhumane torture the media people went through on 28 October.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim gave the welcome speech, while senior journalists from different media houses were present at the event moderated by Jatiya Press Club General Secretary Shyamal Dutta.

Editor-in-chief of Ekattor TV and president of the Editors Guild, Bangladesh, Mozammel Babu and Head of News of Ekattor TV Shakil Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.