DHAKA: A US human rights group on Wednesday called for an investigation of violent attacks on Bangladeshi journalists last week allegedly carried out by supporters of a ruling party lawmaker.

The attack on May 29 occurred in the western town of Kushtia when a group of journalists demonstrated about extortion charges filed against three local reporters by a lawmaker from Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

An unidentified number of attackers hurled stones, bricks and chairs at the journalists, injuring at least 25 people outside a public library in the town, about 130 kilometres west of Dhaka.

Human Rights Watch on Wednesday criticisszed the government’s handling of the attack.

“Authorities in Bangladesh must promptly and impartially investigate and prosecute violent attacks against journalists by supporters of ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party,” the organization said in a statement made available to The Associated Press in Dhaka. The statement said nine days after the attacks, the police have made no arrests and a local newspaper has remained closed.

“The government must show that it will not tolerate attacks on the press from ruling party supporters or anyone else,” said Sophie Richardson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “Failing to investigate and prosecute violent incidents could encourage similar attacks.”

Local member of parliament Shahidul Islam filed cases against the three correspondents from Dhaka-based national dailies on May 9 for allegedly demanding money from him for favourable stories.—AP