14 journos killed in 16 years in SW region

The profession of journalism in the south-western region of the country has become very unsafe as 14 journalists have so far been killed in the last 16 years by miscreants and outlawed elements while discharging their professional duties. Among the victims, there were five editors of regional dailies, and nine journalists of Dhaka-based national dailies as well as local dailies.
Following each of the brutal killing, journalists organised a number of rallies and protest meetings and submitted memorandums to the respective district administrations, police administrations and the Central Government, but none of the killers have been apprehended in 16 years despite assurances and promises from the authorities.
Only two or three of these killings were tried in the courts, but the accused were set free due to reportedly faulty and defective charge-sheets. There has been no progress in the remaining 12 cases, to date.
The first to be done to death was the Editor of Dainik Runner of Jessore, Golam Mazed, on April 10, 1984. He was brutally tortured in jail for writing against the then Martial Law Government. On June 8, 1996, Editor SM Alauddin of Dainik Patradut, published from Satkhira, was shot dead in his office.  Saiful Alam Mukul, Editor of Dainik Runner of Jessore, died in a bomb blast on the night of August 30, 1998, when he was returning to his Bejpara residence in Jessore town. Shamsur Rahman Kebal, an eminent journalist of this region and Special Correspondent of Dainik Janokantho, was brutally gunned down in the night of July 16, 2004, when he was working at his desk on Jail Road, opposite the Jessore 250-bed General Hospital.
Journalist Jamaluddin of Sharsa Upazila, Correspondent of Dainik Gramer Kagoj, published from Jessore, was the last victim, who was brutally killed on June 15, 2012, at his native village Kashipur. He strongly protested against drug trafficking and smuggling through his articles in the daily newspaper, Gramer Kagoj.
Manik Chandra Saha, a Khulna correspondent of the daily New Age, also a stringer of BBC Bangla Service, died in a bomb blast by unidentified assailants on January 15, 2004, near Khulna Press Club in the city.
Humayun Kabir Balu, the editor of the local daily Janmobhumi, published from Khulna, also the then incumbent President of Khulna Press Club, was brutally killed in broad day-light by a powerful bomb attack by unidentified assailants in front of his office cum residence near Shantidham Square under Sadar Police Station of Khulna city on June 27, 2004.
Sheikh Belal Uddin, Khulna Bureau Chief of Bengali daily ‘Dainik Sangram’, who sustained fatal injuries in a powerful bomb attack at about 8pm on February 5, 2005, in Khulna Press Club compound, died on February 11, 2005, while under treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka. On November in 2005, Faridpur Correspondent of Dainik Samokal, Goutam Das, was shot dead by unidentified miscreants. Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, from a local daily, was killed in 1994 and Rezaul Karim Reza, General Secretary of Jhenidah Press Club in 1995. Other journalists who have been murdered are Editor of Dainik Darpan, Mir Elias Hossain Dilip of Jhenidah, Md Bazrul Rahman of Din Badaler Pala of Chuadanga in 1995, Nahar Ali of Dumuria, Correspondent of Dainik Anirban of Khulna in 2001, and Belal Hossain, Correspondent of Dainik Janabani, in 2006.
Harunur Rashid Khokon, a Senior Staff Reporter of the local daily ‘Dainik Purbanchal’ of Khulna, was gunned down by unidentified assailants on March 2, 2002, while he was on his way to office at Mujgunni area under Khalishpur Thana of Khulna city. But the fact remains that none of these murder cases were properly investigated by the police and the killers are still at large.

14 journos killed in 16 years in SW region

The profession of journalism in the south-western region of the country has become very unsafe as 14 journalists have so far been killed in the last 16 years by miscreants and outlawed elements while discharging their professional duties. Among the victims, there were five editors of regional dailies, and nine journalists of Dhaka-based national dailies as well as local dailies. Following each of the brutal killing, journalists organised a number of rallies and protest meetings and submitted memorandums to the respective district administrations, police administrations and the Central Government, but none of the killers have been apprehended in 16 years despite assurances and promises from the authorities. Only two or three of these killings were tried in the courts, but the accused were set free due to reportedly faulty and defective charge-sheets. There has been no progress in the remaining 12 cases, to date. The first to be done to death was the Editor of Dainik Runner of Jessore, Golam Mazed, on April 10, 1984. He was brutally tortured in jail for writing against the then Martial Law Government. On June 8, 1996, Editor SM Alauddin of Dainik Patradut, published from Satkhira, was shot dead in his office. Saiful Alam Mukul, Editor of Dainik Runner of Jessore, died in a bomb blast on the night of August 30, 1998, when he was returning to his Bejpara residence in Jessore town. Shamsur Rahman Kebal, an eminent journalist of this region and Special Correspondent of Dainik Janokantho, was brutally gunned down in the night of July 16, 2004, when he was working at his desk on Jail Road, opposite the Jessore 250-bed General Hospital. Journalist Jamaluddin of Sharsa Upazila, Correspondent of Dainik Gramer Kagoj, published from Jessore, was the last victim, who was brutally killed on June 15, 2012, at his native village Kashipur. He strongly protested against drug trafficking and smuggling through his articles in the daily newspaper, Gramer Kagoj. Manik Chandra Saha, a Khulna correspondent of the daily New Age, also a stringer of BBC Bangla Service, died in a bomb blast by unidentified assailants on January 15, 2004, near Khulna Press Club in the city. Humayun Kabir Balu, the editor of the local daily Janmobhumi, published from Khulna, also the then incumbent President of Khulna Press Club, was brutally killed in broad day-light by a powerful bomb attack by unidentified assailants in front of his office cum residence near Shantidham Square under Sadar Police Station of Khulna city on June 27, 2004. Sheikh Belal Uddin, Khulna Bureau Chief of Bengali daily Dainik Sangram, who sustained fatal injuries in a powerful bomb attack at about 8pm on February 5, 2005, in Khulna Press Club compound, died on February 11, 2005, while under treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka. On November in 2005, Faridpur Correspondent of Dainik Samokal, Goutam Das, was shot dead by unidentified miscreants. Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, from a local daily, was killed in 1994 and Rezaul Karim Reza, General Secretary of Jhenidah Press Club in 1995. Other journalists who have been murdered are Editor of Dainik Darpan, Mir Elias Hossain Dilip of Jhenidah, Md Bazrul Rahman of Din Badaler Pala of Chuadanga in 1995, Nahar Ali of Dumuria, Correspondent of Dainik Anirban of Khulna in 2001, and Belal Hossain, Correspondent of Dainik Janabani, in 2006. Harunur Rashid Khokon, a Senior Staff Reporter of the local daily Dainik Purbanchal of Khulna, was gunned down by unidentified assailants on March 2, 2002, while he was on his way to office at Mujgunni area under Khalishpur Thana of Khulna city. But the fact remains that none of these murder cases were properly investigated by the police and the killers are still at large.