"Torturer of journalists" - what they're saying about Chittagong

So now we know. Sunday's altercation between police and journalists at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium was the fault of the Bangladesh Government, according to opposition leader Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina, leader of the Awami League and former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, issued a statement on Monday remarking that "the BNP-Jamaat alliance government have revealed their true ugly face before the world as a torturer of journalists."

Hasina's complete statement, as posted on the Awami League website, reads:

Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina has sternly denounced the barbaric police attack on the journalists who were covering the test match between Bangladesh and Australia cricket teams Sunday.

In a statement on Sunday, she said the BNP-Jamaat alliance government have revealed their true ugly face before the world as a torturer of journalists.

Sheikh Hasina said our journalists have a bright and appreciable role in shaping the current glorious image of our cricket before the world.

Specially, they played a key role in forming public opinion in favour of achieving the test status.

But the present government do not recognize the least of the journalists' contribution in the game rather have insulted them before the foreign guests with clubbing.

Government have harmed the image of our country by this brutality, Sheikh Hasina remarked recounting that 14 journalists have been killed and about 2,500 others injured in the tenure of the present government.

She expressed her condolences to the injured journalists and sought their quick recovery.

More reports on Sunday's fracas from the New Nation and CricBD.com, which has a series of photographs of the second incident.

Agency reports quote match referee Jeff Crowe as saying that the ICC will be "doing its best to ensure the safety of the Australian team". Err hello, how were the players in danger from this fracas? And does the ICC have any plans to do its best to ensure the safety of the Bangladesh team?

Not to mention ensuring a safe working envirionment for journalists and other members of the workforce at the Divisional Stadium...

For the record, here is Reporters sans Frontieres' profile for Bangladesh, which was ranked 151st out of 167 countries listed on the RSF Worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2005.