The journalist community yesterday urged the government to solve the mystery behind the murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi and bring their killers to book. Sagar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Runi, senior reporter of ATN Bangla, were brutally killed in their rented apartment in East Rajabazar on February 11, 2012. In the capital, leaders of two factions of two journalists’ unions strongly condemned the killing of the journalist couple and vowed to continue their movement in a united way to bring the killers to justice. A human chain was jointly organised by the factions of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the city.
Sagar’s mother was also present on the occasion and requested the journalists to continue their movement to bring the killers to book. The journalist leaders said that despite repeated assurances by ministers, little progress has been made in the murder case. They called upon the home minister to immediately unearth the motive behind the murders and arrest the killers.
“The state has failed to hold the trial of the murderers of Sagar-Runi. If the state considered Sagar and Runi general citizens, then it has failed to give protection to common people. It is the duty of the state to ensure the security of journalists. The state has failed miserably in this regard,” Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, president of a faction of BFUJ, said.
Ruhul Amin Gazi, president of another faction of BFUJ, Shawkat Mahmud, secretary general of another faction of BFUJ, Altaf Mahmud, president of a faction of DUJ, Poet Abdul Hye, Kuddus Afrad, Abdal Ahmed, general secretary of the Jatiya Press Club, Faruk Ahmed and Saban Mahmud also spoke on the occasion.
Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) will observe a daylong token hunger strike on March 31 on the premises of the organisation, demanding trial of the killers of journalist couple Sagar and Runi. DRU president Shahed Chowdhury announced the programme at a memorial meeting held at its office.
Meanwhile, information minister Hasanul Haq Inu expressed regret for the administrative failure to reveal the truth behind the killing of the journalist couple.
“I’m extremely sorry and ashamed that the administration has failed to unearth the truth behind the killings. I feel embarrassed over the administrative failure. I would like to urge the authorities concerned to find out the real motive behind the murders as soon as possible,” he told reporters at a press briefing held at the Secretariat.
Various programmes were also organised at different parts of the country denouncing the government failure to resolve the mystery behind the killing of the journalist couple.
Courtesy of The Independent
