Guwahati Press Club Asst. Secy. Detained, Intimidation For Questioning Apex Bank MD?

Assistant General Secretary of Guwahati press club and senior reporter of a private nes portal, Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar has been detained at Panbazar Police Station today. As per the facebook post of Mr. Hussain he has been detained because he attempted to question the MD (Managing Director) of Apex Bank Mr. Dambaru Saikia.

The Background:

The alleged internal corruption of the Apex bank has came into discussion lately and today (25th march), Jatiya Yuva Shakti ( a sister organization of Assam Jatiya Parishad, AJP) organized a protest demonstration in front of the bank’s headquarter at Panbazar. 

Dilwar Hussain went to cover the protest. Mr. Hussain also sought Apex Bank’s MD Damabru Saikia. However, in lieu of facing the journalist, the bank authority allegedly called on the police. The police called Mr. Hussain to the Panbazar police station and he has been detained there, the journalist alleged in his facebook post.

Till this report was written, Mr. Hussain was not freed. He was also not allowed to meet anyone. The police said that he has not  been arrested yet. However, the cause of his detention, as police said, is based on a complaint by bank authority saying that he made an unauthorized entry to the bank. 

‘Unacceptable Action’

Reacting to the police action, AJP president Lurin Jyoti Gogoi said in a statement that detaining a journalist on duty is not acceptable in a democracy. “Hussain went to seek MD’s response. What crime has he done?”—Gogoi questioned terming this kind of act as an attempt of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to unleash ‘Jungle Raj’ in Assam.

Debabrat Borah, the chairman of media department, APCC condemned this act. “the freedom of press and freedom of journalists have been attacked”—Bora termed. 

While there have been wide spread opposition to Hussain’s dentention, the demand for his release grows.