Dhaka: Journalists staged demonstrations at Shahbagh intersection in the city on Saturday protesting the assault on two of their colleagues by police during Thursday’s shutdown against Rampal power plant.

Witnesses said over 200 journalists from different print and electronic media houses gathered in front of the National Museum at about 11:00am and formed a human chain demanding punishment of those responsible for assaulting ATN News reporter Kazi Eshan Bin Didar and its cameraperson Abdul Alim.

The journalists covered their faces with black badges while TV camerapersons and photojournalists kept their cameras on the ground during the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul demanded withdrawal of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan’s statement about the journalist assault.

ATN News reporter Kazi Ehsan Bin Didar and its cameraperson Abdul Alim were physically assaulted at the entrance of Shahbagh Police Station while performing their duty on Thursday during the hartal enforced by the National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas, Natural Resources and Power-Port demanding cancellation of the Rampal power plant near the Sundarbans.

Later, a police official was suspended in connection with the assault.