Bangla Journalists Boycott Test Match

Dhaka, Apr 17 (UNI) The sports journalists today said they will boycott the ongoing Bangladesh-Australia test match at Chittagong Stadium until their demands are met.

Representatives of the journalists had a series of meetings with senior officials of the Cricket Board, Chittagong police commissioner and local administration to solve the problem arising out of yesterday's police action against them.

The meeting proved to be inconclusive with the sports journalists deciding not to cover the test match tomorrow.

The Bangladesh Cricket Control Board(BCCB) officials, local administration and police commissioner assured the journalists that all their demands will be accepted.

Their demands include dismissal and arrest of the accused policemen. They also want a judicial probe into the incident. Their other demands include treatment of the injured journalists at the government's expenses, compensation to those whose cameras were damaged in the police action, ensuring security of journalists, introduction of code of conduct for journalists and law enforcing agencies and apology by the BCCB.

Earlier, the sports journalists formed an eight-member committee to continue talks with the BCCB and other authorities concerned.

Meanwhile, journalists, artistes and intelligentia staged protests in the capital and elsewhere in the country against yesterday's police action on sports journalists at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists have decided to observe a token pens-down strike in all newspapers and news agencies from 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs on Wednesday if their demands are not met by tomorrow.

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