Local Awami League Leaders Accused of Locking Shantiganj Press Club

Local Awami League (AL) leaders, accompanied by several associates, allegedly took over and locked the under-construction Shantiganj Press Club building on Tuesday afternoon, sparking widespread outrage among local journalists.

The incident occurred during heavy rain at approximately 3:00 p.m. According to local reports, the group was led by M.A. Kashem Chowdhury, Joint General Secretary of the Purba Pagla Union Awami League, who was recently released on bail after serving eight months in jail in connection with a sabotage case.

Witnesses stated that Chowdhury, along with AL leaders Dilip Kumar Das and Abid Uddin, placed a new lock on the building's main gate. They were reportedly accompanied by several individuals who have historically aligned with the upazila's AL leadership, including Nurul Haque, Samiul Kabir, Osman Gani, and others.

The takeover has created deep concern among mainstream media workers and local intellectuals. Shantiganj Press Club President Sohel Talukder and General Secretary Hossain Ahmed strongly condemned the action.

In a joint statement, they described the incident as an attempt to silence the media through intimidation. "They are attacking the professional practice of journalists in broad daylight, which is an extreme threat to independent journalism," the leaders stated. "In a free country, locking journalists out of their workplace is a direct attack on freedom of speech. We strongly condemn this behavior and demand immediate legal action against those involved."