Journo stabbed to death in Bangladesh

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 13 years ago

Zamal Uddin, a journalist in Bangladesh, was stabbed to death in an apparent retaliation for his reporting on the drug trade. Local journalists are planning protests against this violence.

Summary

DHAKA: Unidentified men have hacked a journalist to death apparently for his reports on the illegal drug trade in southwestern Bangladesh, police said Saturday.

The attack on Zamal Uddin took place late Friday at Kashipur Bazar in Jessore district bordering India, said local police chief A K M Faruk Hossain. The area is 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of the capital, Dhaka.

Witnesses reported that assailants armed with sharp-edged weapons swooped on Zamal while he was having tea at a roadside tea stall, Hossain said.

Hossain said the reporter was rushed to hospital with severe injuries and later declared dead.

Zamal, who worked for the Bengali-language Gramer Kagoj daily, was apparently killed for his reporting, said Hossain. The journalist had recently filed a complaint with police seeking security after he was threatened for his articles on the illicit drug trade.

Local journalists will demonstrate later Saturday to protest his slaying, said Asaduzzaman Asad, president of the local Sharsha Press Club.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has branded Bangladesh as among the worst nations in the world in combating violence against the press.

It says at least 12 journalists have died in the South Asian nation since 1992. - AP
 

KEY POINTS:

• Zamal Uddin was attacked while having tea in Jessore district.
• The attack was linked to his reports on the illegal drug trade.
• He had previously sought police protection due to threats.
• Local journalists are demonstrating in response to his murder.
• Bangladesh is known for its poor record on press safety.