Road plaques commemorating Manik Shaha demolished

The KCC renamed the Choto Mirzapur Road after slain Manik Shah to show respect to his memory.

This incident has created panic among journalists as the plaques were destroyed while armed policemen were on routine patrol duty there at night.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

One of the plaques made of cement and concrete was few yards from Khulna Press Club and offices of Dainik Samakal, Dainik Jugantar and Dainik Gramer Kagoj nearby.

This plaque was constructed at the spot where Manik Saha was killed in a bomb attack on January 15 last year.

The other plaque was placed on the other end of the road. Both the plaques have been leveled to the ground.

Manik Saha was Khulna Correspondent of Dhaka-based daily The New Age and a stringer of BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).

Khulna Press Club President Shaikh Abu Hasan and General Secretary Faruque Ahmed, Khulna Union of Journalists (KUJ) President Makbul Hossain Mintu and General Secretary Mohammod Shaheb Ali in a joint statement yesterday strongly condemned the incident.

They have demanded an inquiry to find the culprits involved in demolishing breaking the plaques.

The heinous act might have been done by those who killed Manik Shah, they said in the statement.

City Mayor Shaikh Tayebur Rahman has also strongly condemned the incident and demanded arrest of the culprits. He said the plaques will be reconstructed.

When asked, a senior official of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) said they have launched a manhunt to nab the culprits. He did not rule out the possibility of involvement of extremists in the demolition.