Protests on against newsman murder

The journalists in Dinajpur (left) and Barisal protesting killing of Gautam Das, Staff Reporter of The Daily Samakal in Faridpur on Thursday.. PHOTO: STAR

Gautam was strangled at his office in the district town.

Our Nilphamari Correspondent reports: Nilphamari Press Club members at a meeting yesterday expressed grave concern over killing of Gautam and demanded exemplary punishment to the killers.

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Speakers criticised the government for its failure to improve the law and order which gave way to killings of journalists, judges and intellectuals.

They said journalists are murdered one after another as the government did not try the killers.

Nilphamari Press Club president Md Abdullah presided over the meeting while it was addressed by The Daily Star correspondent EAM Asaduzzaman, The New Age correspondent Shahin Jahangir Alam, The Independent correspondent Gadodis Chandra Roy and The Financial Express correspondent Abu Musa and others.

Later they brought out a mourning procession and paraded the main streets of the town.

Members of Saidpur Press Club, Domar Press Club, Dimla Press Club, Jaladhaka Press Club and Kishoreganj Press Club also organised similar programmes demanding arrest and punishment of criminals and safety and security of journalists.

Our Brahmanbaria Correspondent reports: A protest meeting was held at Brahmanbaria Press Club yesterday condemning the killing.

Earlier, a procession was brought out in the town. Journalist of different dailies wore black badges and paraded the streets of the town.

The meeting was presided over by club secretary Muhammad Arzu. Among others, journalists Md Sadequr Rahman, Kanti Acharjo, Javed Rahim Bijon, Munjurul Alam, Al Amin Shaheen, Reaz Uddin, Monir Hossain, Badal Guha and Md Limon addressed the meeting.

Speakers demanded arrest and exemplary punishment to the killers of Gautam.

Our Sirajganj Correspondent reports: Sirajganj Press Club and Reporters' Unity jointly organised a rally at Sirajganj Press Club yesterday.

Earlier, members of the two organisations brought out a mourning procession. Wearing black badges they paraded the main streets in the district town and protested the killing.

The meeting was presided over by the press club president Jahirul Islam of Ajker Kagoz.

Among others, it was addressed by Helal Uddin (Bhorer Kagoz), G Mostafa (The Daily Star), Harun-or-Rashid Khan Hasan (Dinkal), S M Tafizuddin (Banglabazar) Ferdaus Hasan Rabin (Channel-i) Fardaus Hasan (ATN), Hirok Guha (Bhorer Dak) and Fazal-Al-Khoda Liton (Ittefaq).

The speakers condemned the killing and demanded immediate arrest and punishment to the killers. They also demanded security of journalists.

Our Correspondent Khagrachhari reports: Local journalists yesterday brought out a procession in the hill town.

This was followed by a rally which was presided over by Janakantha district correspondent Ziten Barua.

Among others, The Independent district correspondent Abu taher Mohammad, The Prothom Alo district correspondent Azim ul huq, The Zugantar district correspondent Dilip Chowdhury, The Bhorer Kagoz correspondent Omar Faruq Shamim, The Naya Diganta district correspondent Abu Daud, The Ittefaq district correspondent Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya and The Sangbad district correspondent Pradip Chowdhury addressed the rally.

The speakers demanded of the government safety and security of the working journalists and their family members.

BSS reports from Noakhali: Journalists working in different dailies and weeklies in the district condemned the killing.

A protest meeting was held on the premises of Noakhali Press Club with the president of Noakhali Sangbadik Samity Abdul Kader in the chair.

Among others, the meeting was addressed by, journalists Laikat Ali Khan, Mahiuddin Tokon, M Hanif Bhuiyan, Nasir Uddin Mahmud Badal, Mesbha-ul-Haq Mithu, Sirajuddin Helal, Runu Hasan, Noor Rahman, and Abdul Motaleb.

The speakers expressed their deep shock over the killing and conveyed their profound sympathy to the bereaved family members.

They also demanded compensation for the family members of the deceased.

Our Dinajpur correspondent reports: Journalists of different national dailies here yesterday brought out a procession in the northern town.

They held a rally in front of Dinajpur Press Club which was presided over by the Samakal correspondent Subroto Mozumdar.

Speakers expressed their great concern over increasing incidents of killing of journalists throughout the country. They criticised the government for its total failure in nabbing the culprits.

They demanded immediate arrest and punishment to the killers.

Our Barisal Correspondent reports: Barisal Reporters' Unity (BRU) also held a protest meeting at the BRU office yesterday.

The meeting was held as part of a three-day protest programme announced by BRU earlier. The programmes include hoisting of black flags at the office, wearing black badges, staging seat-in demonstration and submission of memorandum.

BRU president Mir Manuruzzaman presided over the meeting while its secretary Swapan Khodokar, Anisur Rahman Swapan, former president, Manabendra, Iftikhar Ali, Kamal Masudur Rahman, Abu Jafar, Pulak Chatterjee and BRU member Towfiq Maruf addressed the meeting.

Gano Sangeet, a cultural organisation, formed a human chain in front of Aswini Kumar Hall.

Samonaya Parishad, an alliance of 26 cultural organisations also organised a protest procession in the divisional city. Representatives of different NGOs, socio-political, cultural and professional organisations participated in the procession.