A human chain was formed in Tahirpur, Sunamganj, to protest the shooting dead of journalist Lutfuzzaman Alif Fakir in Durgapur, Netrokona, and to demand the swift arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved. Participants also protested the attack on journalist Mohammad Abdul Motalib Bhuiyan in Dowarabazar upazila of Sunamganj.
Journalists from various media outlets, leaders of social organisations and local dignitaries took part in the human chain, organised by journalists working in the upazila, at Badaghat bazar on Tuesday afternoon, 20 October.
Those present included Sabbir Alam, Tahirpur upazila correspondent of the Daily Ittefaq; Kamal Hossain Rafi, upazila correspondent of the Daily Sangbad; social worker and organiser Abul Hossain; Md Harun Or Rashid, general secretary of the Badaghat Bazar traders’ association; Jahangir Alam Bhuiyan, NTV’s Tahirpur correspondent; Samaun Ahmed of Dainik Edin; Rokon Uddin of Dainik Khola Kagoj; Abdur Razzak, Sunamganj district correspondent of Manab Zamin; Abul Kashem of Dainik Bangla; Md Abdul Mannan, director of Alor Sokal online news portal and multimedia; Sarwar Ibne Gias, president of Gonokalyan Foundation; Abir Hasan Manik of Kaler Kantho Multimedia; Md Babul Mia of Dainik News Bangla; and Azharul Islam Sohag of Dainik Haor Bangla.
Speakers called on the authorities to end attacks, killings, threats and harassment against journalists, to ensure a fair investigation into Alif’s killing and exemplary punishment for those involved, and to create an environment in which news can be gathered and published freely.
The human chain demanded impartial investigations into the killings of and attacks on journalists, swift arrests of those involved, exemplary punishment, an end to harassment cases against journalists, and a safe environment for them to do their work.
Journalist Lutfuzzaman Alif Fakir was shot dead in Durgapur, Netrokona, on the night of 15 October. He was the Netrokona correspondent of the private IPTV channel Rupashi Bangla. Separately, media outlets reported that Mohammad Abdul Motalib Bhuiyan, a journalist with the Daily Sangbad, was attacked in Dowarabazar on the evening of 18 October over a report he published on drugs.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report