Police yet to arrest journo ‘killer’

Forty-eight hours have passed since the alleged murder of journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul, the Shahjadpur correspondent of the Daily Samakal. But police are yet to arrest the prime accused, Shahjadpur mayor Halimul Haque Miru. AKM Shahidur Rahman, the deputy inspector-general (DIG) (media and planning) of Bangladesh police, said, “We have already instructed all our units to conduct massive drives to arrest all the culprits who were involved in the journalist’s murder.” A senior official of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said on condition of anonymity, “Several specialised teams are working relentlessly to arrest the mayor, as this is a very embarrassing incident for the government.” He also claimed that higher-ups in the government have already instructed law enforcers to arrest the accused mayor as soon as possible. Police have arrested four persons in Sirajganj for their suspected involvement in the murder. They were detained during drives in Chhoiani village on Friday night.
Of the arrestees, one is Awami League’s upazila unit member KM Nasir Uddin. Abul Hasnat, the additional superintendent of police in Shahjadpur, said Nasir is an accused in the case while the three others have been detained for their suspected involvement in it.
Hasnat publicly admitted yesterday that during the murder, he was present at the spot along with a force. “We had told the mayor not to fire, but he shot several rounds. No other group fired during the clash,” he said.
Awami League MP from Sirajganj 6 constituency, Hasibur Rahman Swapan, also alleged that Shimul sustained bullet injuries when Shahjadpur mayor Halimul Haque Miru opened fire from his shotgun during Thursday’s clash.
“Miru fired five bullets from his gun, one of which went through Shimul’s head. Shimul was only covering the incident,” he said, demanding the arrest of the accused.
Hasibur made the statement before the namaj-e-janaza of the slain journalist on the Shahjadpur Pilot School playground yesterday. Senior government officials, journalists and locals were present at the janaza.
“There is no conflict within the Awami League in Shahjadpur. But the mayor and his two brothers have established a reign of terror in the area,” Hasibur alleged.
A former lawmaker of the constituency, Choyon Islam, said politics had always been peaceful in the area. “But the activities of the mayor are making the party controversial,” he alleged. Choyon Islam also demanded that the mayor be arrested immediately.
Shimul was shot while he was covering a clash between two groups of Awami League supporters in Sirajganj on Thursday. One of the groups included the supporters of ousted Shahjadpur Municipality AL president Abdur Rahim alias VP Rahim. The other included the men of the party unit’s organising secretary and mayor Haque.
The journalist, well known in the area for his fearlessness and sincerity, succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday afternoon. His 90-year-old grandmother, Rokeya Bewa, died of grief on Saturday.
Locals said Shimul was an honest journalist despite his limited financial means.
“He would not take money even to buy a meal,” cried his wife Nurunnahar Begum. “On the day he died, I had told him that there was no food. There were no vegetables at home. He had told me that he would buy groceries on the way home,” she wept.
“Now I am worried about our two children. What shall I serve them now? What shall I cook today? He has not left a single coin for me,” she sobbed.
The family has nothing but a small house made of corrugated iron built on a two-decimal plot of land. There are no valuables in the house. Shimul lived a simple life.
After losing his father when he was only six, Shimul had found shelter in the house of his grandmother. His mother remarried and left. His grandmother brought him up.
Nurunnahar, who has passed the SSC exams, has always been a homemaker. “My husband had hoped to bring up our son as a doctor and give higher education to our daughter. But he has left us totally helpless now,” she said.
Shimul’s son Sadi Mohammad is a Class VI student at Shajadpur Pilot High School while his daughter Tamanna is yet to start school. Nurunnahar urged the government to provide her with a job.
Health minister Mohammad Nasim said people involved in Shimul’s murder would be brought to book. He was talking to journalists after inaugurating an intensive care unit (ICU) at Pabna General Hospital.
The half-day hartal enforced by local journalists and Chhatra League activists in Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj in protest against the murder ended peacefully in the afternoon. Most business establishments and shops downed their shutters during the strike.
Meanwhile, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said Bangladesh authorities should vigorously investigate and bring to justice those responsible for killing Abdul Hakim Shimul, a journalist for the daily Samakal newspaper, reports UNB.
 “This shooting took place before many witnesses, and police have reportedly seized the weapon and identified its owner,” said Steven Butler, CPJ Asia programme coordinator.
“There can be no excuse for failing to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice,” Butler was quoted as saying in a message released from Washington.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) also strongly condemned the killing of Abdul Hakim.
The IFJ demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the perpetrators, according to a statement posted on its website.
“The IFJ strongly condemns violence which cost the life of colleague Abdul Hakim Shimul who was only doing his job,” said IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger.
“This is a sad reminder of the sacrifice journalists make across the world, paying the ultimate price to inform their public. We send our condolences to his family for the loss of Shimul and his grandmother. We further urge the authorities the circumstances in which guns were discharged in the public place, with such a devastating consequence.”  
Abdul Hakim, who sustained bullet wounds during a clash between two associate bodies of Awami League in Shahjadpur on Thursday, succumbed to his injuries around 1:00pm on Friday while being taken to Dhaka from Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College, Bogra for better treatment.
Since CPJ began keeping records in 1992, at least 20 journalists have been killed in Bangladesh in direct relation to their work. In addition to Abdul Hakim’s death, CPJ is investigating the deaths of another nine journalists to determine whether they were related to the journalists’ work.
The Bangladesh Mofassal Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) called for countrywide protest rally and human chain demo on February 5-6, demanding the enactment of law to stop torture, attack on journalists and lodging of fake cases and harassment of journalists. The BMSF urged all journalists from across the country to take part in the protest programme spontaneously to make it a success. The organisastion declared the programme protesting the murder of Samakal journalist, lodging fake cases against PM’s Information Adviser and also Daily Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, and journo couple Israt Iva in Khulna, torture on journo Julfiker Ali, attack on ATN Bangla journo by police at Shahbagh and demanding the enactment of contemporary law to stop torture, and attack on journalists. In a joint statement, Shahidul Islam Pilot, president of the BMSF, and Ahmed Abu Jafar, general secretary of the BMSF, on Friday made the announcement. Protesting the aforesaid incidents, the BMSF will stage rally and human chain in all district headquarters and upazilas at 10am today. It will also stage protest rally and human chain in front of National Press Club at 9am tomorrow.

 

Police yet to arrest journo killer

Forty-eight hours have passed since the alleged murder of journalist Abdul Hakim Shimul, the Shahjadpur correspondent of the Daily Samakal. But police are yet to arrest the prime accused, Shahjadpur mayor Halimul Haque Miru. AKM Shahidur Rahman, the deputy inspector-general (DIG) (media and planning) of Bangladesh police, said, We have already instructed all our units to conduct massive drives to arrest all the culprits who were involved in the journalists murder. A senior official of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said on condition of anonymity, Several specialised teams are working relentlessly to arrest the mayor, as this is a very embarrassing incident for the government. He also claimed that higher-ups in the government have already instructed law enforcers to arrest the accused mayor as soon as possible. Police have arrested four persons in Sirajganj for their suspected involvement in the murder. They were detained during drives in Chhoiani village on Friday night. Of the arrestees, one is Awami Leagues upazila unit member KM Nasir Uddin. Abul Hasnat, the additional superintendent of police in Shahjadpur, said Nasir is an accused in the case while the three others have been detained for their suspected involvement in it. Hasnat publicly admitted yesterday that during the murder, he was present at the spot along with a force. We had told the mayor not to fire, but he shot several rounds. No other group fired during the clash, he said. Awami League MP from Sirajganj 6 constituency, Hasibur Rahman Swapan, also alleged that Shimul sustained bullet injuries when Shahjadpur mayor Halimul Haque Miru opened fire from his shotgun during Thursdays clash. Miru fired five bullets from his gun, one of which went through Shimuls head. Shimul was only covering the incident, he said, demanding the arrest of the accused. Hasibur made the statement before the namaj-e-janaza of the slain journalist on the Shahjadpur Pilot School playground yesterday. Senior government officials, journalists and locals were present at the janaza. There is no conflict within the Awami League in Shahjadpur. But the mayor and his two brothers have established a reign of terror in the area, Hasibur alleged. A former lawmaker of the constituency, Choyon Islam, said politics had always been peaceful in the area. But the activities of the mayor are making the party controversial, he alleged. Choyon Islam also demanded that the mayor be arrested immediately. Shimul was shot while he was covering a clash between two groups of Awami League supporters in Sirajganj on Thursday. One of the groups included the supporters of ousted Shahjadpur Municipality AL president Abdur Rahim alias VP Rahim. The other included the men of the party units organising secretary and mayor Haque. The journalist, well known in the area for his fearlessness and sincerity, succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday afternoon. His 90-year-old grandmother, Rokeya Bewa, died of grief on Saturday. Locals said Shimul was an honest journalist despite his limited financial means. He would not take money even to buy a meal, cried his wife Nurunnahar Begum. On the day he died, I had told him that there was no food. There were no vegetables at home. He had told me that he would buy groceries on the way home, she wept. Now I am worried about our two children. What shall I serve them now? What shall I cook today? He has not left a single coin for me, she sobbed. The family has nothing but a small house made of corrugated iron built on a two-decimal plot of land. There are no valuables in the house. Shimul lived a simple life. After losing his father when he was only six, Shimul had found shelter in the house of his grandmother. His mother remarried and left. His grandmother brought him up. Nurunnahar, who has passed the SSC exams, has always been a homemaker. My husband had hoped to bring up our son as a doctor and give higher education to our daughter. But he has left us totally helpless now, she said. Shimuls son Sadi Mohammad is a Class VI student at Shajadpur Pilot High School while his daughter Tamanna is yet to start school. Nurunnahar urged the government to provide her with a job. Health minister Mohammad Nasim said people involved in Shimuls murder would be brought to book. He was talking to journalists after inaugurating an intensive care unit (ICU) at Pabna General Hospital. The half-day hartal enforced by local journalists and Chhatra League activists in Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj in protest against the murder ended peacefully in the afternoon. Most business establishments and shops downed their shutters during the strike. Meanwhile, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said Bangladesh authorities should vigorously investigate and bring to justice those responsible for killing Abdul Hakim Shimul, a journalist for the daily Samakal newspaper, reports UNB. This shooting took place before many witnesses, and police have reportedly seized the weapon and identified its owner, said Steven Butler, CPJ Asia programme coordinator. There can be no excuse for failing to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice, Butler was quoted as saying in a message released from Washington. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) also strongly condemned the killing of Abdul Hakim. The IFJ demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the perpetrators, according to a statement posted on its website. The IFJ strongly condemns violence which cost the life of colleague Abdul Hakim Shimul who was only doing his job, said IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger. This is a sad reminder of the sacrifice journalists make across the world, paying the ultimate price to inform their public. We send our condolences to his family for the loss of Shimul and his grandmother. We further urge the authorities the circumstances in which guns were discharged in the public place, with such a devastating consequence. Abdul Hakim, who sustained bullet wounds during a clash between two associate bodies of Awami League in Shahjadpur on Thursday, succumbed to his injuries around 1:00pm on Friday while being taken to Dhaka from Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College, Bogra for better treatment. Since CPJ began keeping records in 1992, at least 20 journalists have been killed in Bangladesh in direct relation to their work. In addition to Abdul Hakims death, CPJ is investigating the deaths of another nine journalists to determine whether they were related to the journalists work. The Bangladesh Mofassal Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) called for countrywide protest rally and human chain demo on February 5-6, demanding the enactment of law to stop torture, attack on journalists and lodging of fake cases and harassment of journalists. The BMSF urged all journalists from across the country to take part in the protest programme spontaneously to make it a success. The organisastion declared the programme protesting the murder of Samakal journalist, lodging fake cases against PMs Information Adviser and also Daily Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, and journo couple Israt Iva in Khulna, torture on journo Julfiker Ali, attack on ATN Bangla journo by police at Shahbagh and demanding the enactment of contemporary law to stop torture, and attack on journalists. In a joint statement, Shahidul Islam Pilot, president of the BMSF, and Ahmed Abu Jafar, general secretary of the BMSF, on Friday made the announcement. Protesting the aforesaid incidents, the BMSF will stage rally and human chain in all district headquarters and upazilas at 10am today. It will also stage protest rally and human chain in front of National Press Club at 9am tomorrow.