Three Bangladesh journalists beaten during drug probe

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 9 November 2026 |  JP Asia Desk

Three Dhaka Tribune journalists say armed men held and beat them for roughly three hours while they investigated drug trafficking in Tongi, Bangladesh. Police said an officer had been assigned to examine their written complaint.

Summary

GAZIPUR — Three journalists working for the Dhaka Tribune were allegedly held captive, beaten and threatened at gunpoint for nearly three hours while investigating drug trafficking in Tongi, Bangladesh, on November 6.

Reporters Rabiul Hasan and Asiful Islam Rifat and photojournalist Abir Ahmed Supto said a group of 20 to 25 armed men confronted them in the Hazir Mazar slum, seized their equipment, and attempted to intimidate them into abandoning their investigation, according to a report published by Dhaka Tribune on November 8.

Journalists allege torture and intimidation

The journalists alleged that their attackers held pistols to their heads, threatened them with sharp weapons and forcibly took them to a nearby location, where they were repeatedly beaten.

According to a written complaint submitted to Tongi West police, the attackers also forced the journalists to consume a liquid containing a sedative. They allegedly placed narcotics and cash before them and recorded staged photographs, videos and false confessions, apparently intending to use the material for blackmail.

Reporting material allegedly destroyed

Rabiul said the group confiscated cameras, mobile phones, money and identification documents. His phone contained photographs and videos collected during the investigation, including images of suspected drug dealers and distribution points.

He alleged that the attackers had monitored the journalists through closed-circuit television cameras. When he refused to surrender his phone, they assaulted him, seized the device and deleted the reporting material.

The journalists were eventually released after an unidentified person contacted their captors through a video call. They said they were ordered to stop reporting on drug trafficking and criminal activities in the area and agreed under threat. Further death threats allegedly followed.

The injured journalists received treatment at Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital in Tongi before being referred for further medical care.

Police response raises questions

Tongi West police officer in charge Md Arifur Rahman confirmed that a written complaint had been received and an officer assigned to investigate. He said appropriate legal action would follow a preliminary inquiry.

However, Bangladeshi news outlet Jago News reported on November 9 that police had yet to register a formal case over the alleged assault. The report raised further questions about the response to an attack on journalists investigating criminal activities.

Rahman said police had arrested six suspected drug users and two alleged dealers in the area during the preceding two days. Authorities did not establish any connection between those arrests and the attack on the journalists.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Israil Howlader, who left office on November 7, promised action against those responsible and further operations targeting suspected criminal networks around Tongi Mazar Basti.

His successor, Md Ashiq Sayeed, said he had recently assumed office and would investigate the allegations before taking necessary action.

Earlier attack points to wider safety concerns

The incident followed another alleged attack on a journalist in the same area less than two weeks earlier.

On October 26, Mohin Uddin Ripon, the Gazipur district correspondent for the Bangladeshi daily Kalbela, was reportedly abducted at gunpoint, beaten and held for a ransom of Tk1 crore.

The three Dhaka Tribune journalists alleged that their captors showed them photographs and video recordings of Ripon's ordeal, apparently to reinforce their threats.

The two incidents have raised concerns about the safety of journalists investigating organized crime in Tongi. The alleged destruction of reporting material, threats of fabricated incriminating evidence and efforts to prevent further coverage illustrate the risks faced by journalists reporting on criminal networks.

ATTRIBUTION: Based on reporting by Dhaka Tribune, November 8, 2026, with additional reporting by Jago News, November 9, 2026

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only.