A Bangladeshi journalist was shot by unknown assailants on Sunday hours after the country hanged two opposition leaders for war crimes committed in 1971 during it declaring itself independent of Pakistan.
According to Reuters, the assailants opened fire on the television channel's vehicle and wounded a journalist in southeastern Chittagong district when the vehicle was returning from the funeral of former lawmaker Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, who was hanged along with ex-minister Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.
Local reports said at least two attackers overtook the press vehicle in front of war criminal Chowdhury's house at Gahira village in Raozan upazila on Sunday morning before opening fire.
The injured TV journalist has been identified as Rajib Sen, Chittagong correspondent of Mohona Television. Nayon Barua Joy, Chittagong correspondent of Ekushey Television told Financial Express Bangladesh that the TV personnel were returning from the funeral of Chowdhury when they were shot.
The reason for the shooting is still unclear. "We are trying to nab the attackers and find out the reason behind," Naimul Hasan, additional police superintendent of Chittagong told Reuters by telephone.
Chowdhury, 66, was a senior leader of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He was dubbed the "terror of Chittagong" in Bangladesh for his part in hundreds of killings 44 years ago, and was convicted in 2013 by a special war crimes tribunal.
