Law-enforcers are still in the dark about the whereabouts of ‘Pakkhakal’ Editor Shafiqul Islam Kajol. A case was filed in this regard with Chawkbazar Police Station in the capital around 10:00pm last night. The missing journalist’s son Monoram Polok confirmed the information to The independent. Earlier, his family members alleged that although Kajol went missing for the last eight days, they were not being able to file a missing case due to the reluctance of the law enforcers.

Immediately after Kajol went missing on March 11, a general diary (GD) was filed with Chawkbazar police station Polok said the police were refusing to accept a missing case in Kajol's name. He also said Chawkbazar police station told them to file the case with New Market police station as Kajol's mobile phone signal was traced last in that area.

But New Market police station told them to lodge the case with Chawkbazar police station as kajol had left his Bakshibazar home at 3pm and was not seen again. SM Kaiyum, officer-in-charge (OC) of New Market police station, said they had not been able to trace Kajol after he left home.  The entire incident happened under the Chawkbazar police station, he added. Moudud Hawladar, officer-in-charge of Chawkbazar police station, said that they had collected some video footage to prove that Kajol had worked at his office from 4-7pm. If anything happened after that, the matter would go to the jurisdiction of New Market police station, he added.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh must put an end to the wave of repression in the country that has seen journalists being targeted and others threatened, Amnesty International said this week, as the human rights organization called on the government to promptly amend the draconian Digital Security Act in compliance with international human rights law.

Police have denied any information about the whereabouts of journalist Kajol, who has not been seen or heard from since 10 March 2020, a day after police registered a case against him and 31 others under the troubling Digital Security Act.