Khulna: a killing field for scribes

BY Sharier Khan| IN Media Freedom | 04/07/2004

Sharier Khan, OneWorld South Asia  

The daring daylight murder of a regional daily`s editor in Bangladesh has unleashed a wave of protests among rights activists and media persons, who charge the government is not doing enough to curb growing lawlessness and punish the guilty.  

Dainik Janmabhumi editor Humayun Kabir Balu`s death on Sunday made him the 13th journalist to be murdered by outlaws in the southwestern city of Khulna, where criminals often attack reporters and editors. Balu, 58, was killed and his son injured when a peanut vendor hurled twin bombs at him, scattering debris in the entire area.  

Earlier this year in January, a special correspondent with the New Age, Manik Chandra Saha, was killed in Khulna, known as the "Valley of Death" because of frequent bloodshed by outlaws. Balu, who was also serving as president of the Khulna Press Club for the third time, was a well known journalist and had received death threats from local gangs for campaigning against them in his popular daily and fighting for justice for Saha.  

A faction of the outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddha) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group had earlier threatened Balu, and police claim he was given special security for some time till he declined it two months ago. The killing has scared the people of Khulna, including Balu`s family, which has not even filed a police case. 

"We are afraid," confesses Balu`s son Asif, adding, "Besides, what is the use of filing any case? Nobody will try the killers. On the contrary, we will have to face a lot of harassment. If there is anything anyone wants to do for us, it would be giving our family protection from further attacks."  

Khulna`s journalists have declared a week of mourning and will take out a daylong rally and strike Thursday to protest the growing oppression against journalists in Bangladesh, which was placed among the "World`s Worst Places to be a Journalist" in a report released in May by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).  

Starting Tuesday, newspapers in the city have been publishing protest messages on their front pages declaring, "We don`t get justice, so we don`t ask for justice." The caption will continue to appear daily till next Monday.  

Emphasizes the president of the Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh, Mahfuz Anam, "The lack of security for journalists hinders the freedom of the media."  

He adds, "We demand the immediate capture of the killers of Humayun Balu and security for journalists to carry out their professional work, without which the freedom of press, democracy and fundamental human rights will come under threat."  

Amid the growing protests, police in the city have swung into action, themselves filing a case and arresting 10 suspects. Assures the acting commissioner of the Khulna Metropolitan Police, Sajjad Ali, "We have identified the killers and masterminds. I hope for a breakthrough by the weekend."  

But Khulna`s journalists have no confidence in the police investigations, as some of the earlier probes into the killings of their colleagues failed to unmask the culprits.  For instance, formal charges in the Manik Saha murder case were filed only last week, accusing 12 outlaws. Out of 54 witnesses in this case, an overwhelming 34 are from the police force. Hence journalists are skeptical of whether they will get justice.  

No headway has been made yet in the case of journalist Shamsur Rahman, murdered in July, 2000. The situation is similar in the cases of mediapersons Saiful Alam Mukul (killed in August 1998) and Harun-or-Rashid (killed in March 2002).  

Significantly, the courts have delivered judgments in only two of 13 cases of journalists` murders in the last 10 years. Often, the defendants are released on bail. Maintains an eminent lawyer and president of the political party Gono Forum, Dr Kamal Hossain, "The killing of Balu proved that the law and order situation is yet to improve as criminals get political shelter."  

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has also expressed shock over the death and ordered authorities to arrest the attackers. But opposition Awami League leader and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina charges that, "Since the new government came to power in October 2001, eight journalists were killed and 800 were assaulted by goons of the ruling (Bangladesh Nationalist Party)."