Doctors at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in the capital declared the 48-year-old president of Khulna Metropolitan Union of Journalists (KMUJ) dead at 11:00am yesterday.

With this, the death toll of journalists in Khulna district rose to six and in the outlaw-infested southwestern region to 14 in the last 10 years.

Khulna Metropolitan Police last night arrested a man, who confessed to being involved in planting the bomb on Belal's motorbike parked on the Khulna Press Club (KPC) premises, said Deputy Police Commissioner M Akbar Ali. However, he did not disclose the name or any further details about the identity of the arrestee.

Belal had been on life support system at the CMH intensive care unit since he was helicoptered there from Khulna Medical College and Hospital on February 6, one day after the powerful bomb had exploded on KPC premises leaving four Khulna-based journalists critically wounded.

According to Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) sources, Belal's condition worsened on Thursday night with cardiac attacks. After fighting a long battle, a medical board failed to save his life and he died an hour before midday.

His body was sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital morgue at 2:10pm. His brother-in-law GM Ilias Hossain received the body from there after an autopsy.

PBCP CLAIM
In a letter to two Khulna newspapers yesterday evening, the outlawed PBCP-Maoist claimed responsibility for the attack that wounded Belal, KPC President and daily Prothom Alo Khulna Bureau Chief Shaikh Abu Hasan, daily Jugantor Staff Photojournalist Shaikh Jahid Hossain and daily News Today Staff Reporter Tutul Ahmed.

According to our Khulna Correspondent, the letter signed by PBCP Khulna regional leader Sayed Hasan alias Sumon on behalf of the party's central committee said the attack was part of their ongoing operation to what they said was eliminate class enemies.

The letter said Belal was one of their 'class enemies', as he was a 'religious tout and extortionist'.

The bomb planted on Belal's motorbike exploded when he accompanied by Abu Hasan and Jahid was heading for the parking lot in the KPC lawn at around 9:15pm, witnesses said.

FUNERAL
The first namaj-e-janaza of Belal, who was also a rokon of the ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami, was held yesterday afternoon after Asr prayers at Baitul Mokarram National Mosque. Golam Azam, former ameer of Jamaat, led the prayer attended by a number of politicians, journalists and government officials, said BSS.

His body will be kept at the KPC for an hour from 10:00am today for people to pay their last respects to the slain journalist.

He will be buried in his ancestral graveyard at Royermahal village of Khalishpur upazila after another namaj-e-janaza in Khulna Circuit House Maidan after the Zohr prayers today.

The KPC has undertaken a three-day mourning programme including wearing black badges and hoisting black flags at the KPC and local newspaper offices since yesterday.

The KMUJ will hold a Qurankh-wani and a milad mehfil on February 14 and take out a mourning procession on February 15. The union will also organise a condolence meeting and a prayer meet at the press club on Sunday afternoon.

CONDOLENCE
The prime minister, a number of her cabinet colleagues and journalists yesterday expressed shock and sympathy at Belal's death after a week-long struggle for life at the CMH.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in a condolence message expressed her deep shock at the death and prayed for divine blessings for his eternal peace.

She also conveyed her heartfelt sympathy to the members of the bereaved family and said her government would do everything possible to identify the masterminds behind the heinous act.

"Shaikh Belal was a fearless and dedicated journalist," Information Minister M Shamsul Islam said in a message. He expressed his sympathy to the members of the bereaved family and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul.

Islam, who attended Belal's namaj-e-janaza at Baitul Mokarram, condemned the culprits, and said, "The government will mobilise all its efforts to bring them to justice to stop repetition of such killing of innocent people like Belal."

Social Welfare Minister and Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid in a statement prayed for his eternal peace, conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family and sought divine blessings so that Belal's family members could get the strength to overcome the shock.

Senior leaders of Jatiya Press Club, DUJ and BFUJ also condoled the death.

PROFILE
Belal was born on December 3 in 1957 in his ancestral home at Royermahal. He was the eldest son of Shaikh Modasser Ali and Mannnujan Nesa.

Belal was president of Khulna City unit of Islami Chatra Shibir in 1983-84 and 1986-87. He was also once president of Khulna City unit of 'Phulkuri Ashar' and life-long president of Khulna Cutural Centre.

He started working as a journalist as Khulna correspondent of Dainik Sangram in 1988. He became its Khulna bureau chief in 2001.

Belal became a member of Jamaat central committee in 1997.

He was a permanent member of KPC and was elected president of KMUJ in 2002 and 2004.

DEATH TOLL
Journalists working in the five violence-prone districts of Khulna Division have been falling victims one after another to attacks of outlawed political outfits. Fourteen journalists were killed and around 50 others injured in the southwestern region in the last 10 years.

Belal was the latest in a long line of slain newsmen. His predecessors are:

1. Humayun Kabir Balu, editor of Dainik Janmabhumi and president of Khulna Press Club, killed on June 27, 2004.
2. Manik Chandra Saha, Khulna correspondent of Sangbad, killed on January 15, 2004.
3. Sarder Shukur Hossain of Dainik Anirban, killed on July 9, 2002.
4. Harunur Rashid Khokon of Dainik Purbanchal, killed on March 2, 2002.
5. SM Nahar Ali, Dumuria correspondent of Dainik Anirban, killed on April 18, 2001.
6. Shamsur Rahman, special correspondent of Janakantha in Jessore, killed on July 16, 2000.
7. Mir Ilias Hossain Dilip, editor of Birdarpan of Jhenidah, killed in 2000.
8. Rafiqul Islam Rafiq, reporter of Dainik Loksamaj of Khulna, killed on March 13, 1999.
9. RM Saiful Alam Mukul, editor of daily Runner of Jessore, killed on August 30, 1998.
10. Bazlur Rahman, staff reporter of Dainik Dinbadal of Chuadanga, killed on June 12, 1998.
11. Khandaker Rezaul Karim Reza, reporter of Dainik Sadyakhabar of Jhenidah, killed on July 16, 1998.
12. SM Alauddin, editor of Dainik Patradut of Satkhira, killed on June 19, 1996.
13. Muhammad Abdul Gaffar, staff reporter of Dainik Sfulinga of Jessore, killed on February 4, 1996.