A member of the Bangladeshi government was attacked at the studio of a Bengali news channel in East London as he waited to go on the air.

Hasanul Haq Inu, Minister of Information in Bangladesh, was preparing to go on a talk show at around 10.30 last night when he was assaulted by a group of men.

Police are understood to be investigating the incident, which took place at the ATN Bangla UK studio in Epson Street in Bromley-by-Bow.

Mr Inu is the leader of Jatiyo Samajtantrik Dal, a Bangladeshi socialist party, and fought in the country’s liberation war in 1971.

He said: “It was a terrorist attack and I think it was a political attack.

“I hope the police will take notice and take serious action against the terrorists.”

Bulbul Hasan, head of news and TV host at ATN Bangla UK, said: “I was very upset because the minister was my guest.

“What happened is not an attack on a politician, it is an attack on freedom of expression.”