15 June 2012
Journalist killed in Bangladesh for reporting drug smuggling
Torture
A journalist was hacked to death at Sharsha upazila in Jessore on Friday night, allegedly for reporting on a local drug-smuggling syndicate. The victim, Jamal Uddin, 33, was a correspondent of Jessore-based Bangla daily Gramer Kagoj. Officer-in-Charge Faruque Hossain of Sharsha Police Station said Tota Miah, leader of a drug-running syndicate, and his 10 henchmen kidnapped Jamal from a tea stall at Kashipur Bazar around 11:00pm, reported our correspondent in Benapole.
They took him to a nearby place where they gouged out one of his eyes, slashed veins of his legs and hacked him indiscriminately. They fled the scene as neighbours came hearing Jamal's shout for help. The journalist died on the way to Jessore Medical College Hospital. Later, police found a bloodstained towel and a machete at Tota's house and arrested his wife Lata Begum. Tota, however, was at large as of filing this report at 10:00pm yesterday. A murder case has been filed.
The OC said that a few months ago, Jamal filed a general diary after Tota made death threats for writing on drug smuggling. Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association (CRAB) and local journalists have protested the killing of Jamal and demanded immediate arrest of the killers and their exemplary punishment. Journalists in Sharsha, Benapole and Navaron of Jessore yesterday staged demonstrations and brought out a procession protesting the murder.
CRAB in a statement expressed solidarity with any programme over killing or torture of journalists. It also protested the harassment of an ntv cameraman by police on Friday night at Shahjalal International Airport and demanded immediate action against the police personnel involved.
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Source: The Daily Star
