A magistrate court in Kushtia on Thursday rejected a police prayer for remand of the two Jatyiatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack on a journalists' convention in the town on Many 29 last year.

The court fixed Sunday for hearing on remand.

Kushtia district JCD jointorganising secretary Hasan Zaman and Sadar upazila JCD secretary Arifur Rahman alias Sumon were arrested Wednesday night.

Police said they raided houses of the JCD leaders in Barkhada and arrested them.

Sources said the JCD leaders during interrogation at Sadar police station admitted their involvement in the attack and gave some important information about the incident. They are now in Kushtia jail.

At least 25 journalists including Bangladesh Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Choudhury were injured when a group of about 200 JCD activists attacked the journalist's convention.

The convention was called to protest filing of 'false cases' by

the then BNP lawmaker from Kushtia-2 and district BNP president Sahidul Islam against three local journalists. The attack was made about 20 minutes into the convention.

After the attack, Iqbal Sobhan Choudhury tried to file a case with Kushtia Sadar police station but police did not take the case allegedly due to pressure from local BNP leaders.

After 10 months, local journalists filed a case with the Sadar police station accusing two former BNP lawmakers and 10 others. The accused former lawmakers are Sahidul Islam and Syed Mehedi Ahmed Rumi of Kushtia-4 constituency. Mehedi Rumi is general secretary of Kushtia district BNP.

Others accused in the case are BNP leaders Sazedur Rahman Bablu, Nurul Islam Chad, Mizanur Rahman Diuk, Al-Amin Kanay, Golam Hafiz Pipul, Atiar, Mirazul Islam Rintu and Abdur Razzak Bachchu, district Jubo Dal president Sahidullah Sahid and secretary Mohsin Ali. According to police, the arrested JCD leaders were not included in the list of accused. They were detected from a video footage of the incident.