Journo Balu murder

Fresh probe demanded

KHULNA: Demands for fresh investigation into the 2004 murder of Ekushey Padak recipient journalist Humayun Kabir Balu yesterday marked his death anniversary with newsmen rallying and staging human chain protests in this southwestern industrial city, reports BSS.
Khulna Press Club, which Balu once led as its president, organised a discussion to mark the death anniversary when the speakers expressed their anguish over the acquittal of the culprits due to what they called "flawed" process in the submitting the charge sheet following a "weak investigation".
Khulna Union of Journalists also staged human chain demonstration with identical demand in the city while Khulna Photo Journalists Association and Humayun Kabir Balu Smrity Parishad organised separate programmes and also demanded arrests of the killers and masterminds of the murders of other slain journalists including Manik Saha and Sagar and Runi.
The journalists paid rich tributes to Balu's memory, offered wreaths at his grave and joined prayers seeking eternal peace of the departed soul.
"While delivering the verdict, the judge of the case made an observation with regret that nobody could be convicted because of the weak investigations and flawed process in submitting the charge-sheet," Balu's elder son Asif Kabir told BSS coinciding with the anniversary.
Kabir, currently an assistant press secretary to the Prime Minister, said the family still believed in getting justice with a revised investigation in another yet to be disposed case relating to his father's murder.
"The court issued its verdict in the main murder case but another case linked to the killing under the Explosive Act is still pending . . . CID (Criminal Investigation Department) has launched a revised probe into the case and we expect the culprits to be exposed to justice eventually (through the judgment in the second case)," he said.

Journo Balu murder

Fresh probe demanded

KHULNA: Demands for fresh investigation into the 2004 murder of Ekushey Padak recipient journalist Humayun Kabir Balu yesterday marked his death anniversary with newsmen rallying and staging human chain protests in this southwestern industrial city, reports BSS. Khulna Press Club, which Balu once led as its president, organised a discussion to mark the death anniversary when the speakers expressed their anguish over the acquittal of the culprits due to what they called flawed process in the submitting the charge sheet following a weak investigation. Khulna Union of Journalists also staged human chain demonstration with identical demand in the city while Khulna Photo Journalists Association and Humayun Kabir Balu Smrity Parishad organised separate programmes and also demanded arrests of the killers and masterminds of the murders of other slain journalists including Manik Saha and Sagar and Runi. The journalists paid rich tributes to Balus memory, offered wreaths at his grave and joined prayers seeking eternal peace of the departed soul. While delivering the verdict, the judge of the case made an observation with regret that nobody could be convicted because of the weak investigations and flawed process in submitting the charge-sheet, Balus elder son Asif Kabir told BSS coinciding with the anniversary. Kabir, currently an assistant press secretary to the Prime Minister, said the family still believed in getting justice with a revised investigation in another yet to be disposed case relating to his fathers murder. The court issued its verdict in the main murder case but another case linked to the killing under the Explosive Act is still pending . . . CID (Criminal Investigation Department) has launched a revised probe into the case and we expect the culprits to be exposed to justice eventually (through the judgment in the second case), he said.