Simultaneously, journalists organised protest rallies in districts, at the call of a newly formed forum of editors, to raise their voice against the murders and series of attacks on them that created a sense of insecurity among the newspersons.

The editors under the banner of 'Forum to Protect Journalists' took part in a rally on the Jatiya Press Club premises and then paraded the streets in a silent procession.

'Try the killers of journalists -- Stand against terrorism,' reads a white banner held by the protesters as they marched towards the High Court and returned to the Jatiya Press Club compound ending the brief programme.

Forum Convener Reazuddin Ahmed chairing the editors' rally read out a declaration in which the journalist community pointed out that killing of newsmen continues as the killers go unpunished.

The declaration urged all involved in the newspaper industry to wage a strong movement demanding trial of the killings and repression on newspersons to ensure a congenial atmosphere for free and fair journalism.

It also called upon the government, all opposition political parties, professionals and freethinkers to come forward to protect journalists from killing and repression.

Editors of leading national dailies formed the Forum to Protect Journalists after journalist Shaikh Belaluddin of Khulna died on February 11 from his injuries in a bomb blast on the Khulna Press Club premises on February 5.

Three other journalists were also wounded in the bomb attack.

The editors who joined yesterday's protest rally include ABM Musa of the Jugantor, Enayetullah Khan of the New Age, Reazuddin Ahmed of the News Today, Mahbubul Alam of The Independent, Mahfuz Anam of The Daily Star, Atiqullah Khan Masud of the Janakantha, AMM Bahauddin of the Inqilab, Amanullah Kabir of the Amar Desh, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury of The Bangladesh Observer, Golam Tahaboor of The New Nation, Motiur Rahman Chowdhury of the Manabzamin, Gias Kamal Chowdhury of the Khabarpatro and Golam Sarwar of the Samakal. Ataus Samad, advisory editor of the Amar Desh, and Syed Fahim Munaim, managing editor of The Daily Star, also attended the programme.

Leaders of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Khulna Union of Journalists (KUJ), Grameen Sangbadik Sangathan and senior journalists from print and electronic media took part in the rally.

Presidents of the two factions of BFUJ Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and Gias Kamal Chowdhury addressed the gathering. Iqbal proposed to keep a blank space of 6 inches in all newspaper on February 28 and called for a newspaper strike on March 1 to protest the killing of journalists.

The editors expressed deep concern over the rise in the killing of newsmen and repression on them. They said journalists are being subjected to killing one after another especially in the southwestern region.

Journalists in other parts of the country are also being threatened, attacked and implicated in cases while carrying out their professional duties, they observed.

THE declaration
The declaration of the Forum termed 2004 a painful year for the journalist community that began with the killing of veteran journalist Manik Saha in Khulna. President of Khulna Press Club Humayun Kabir Balu was killed five months later.

Khagrachhari corespondent of daily Ajker Kagaj Kamal Uddin and Executive Editor of Bogra-based Durjoy Bangla Dipankar Chakraborty were also killed in 2004.

The year 2005 also started with the killing of Shaikh Belaluddin of daily Sangram, it observed.

"We demand trial of the killers as soon as possible….We are also expressing deep sympathy to the members of the bereaved families," News Today Editor Reazuddin Ahmed said reading out the declaration.

"We notice that journalists are being obstructed by killings, attacks and intimidation. This attack is not first on independent journalism. In the past too, journalists were killed and maimed in the country, but the cases were not disposed of," he said.

"In a few cases, inquiries and charge sheets were submitted, but the process of trial was impeded by one reason or other. As a result, the perpetrators have become desperate. The whole society is in grave fear following spread of terror in that region."

The declaration further said the growing repression on journalists and killings will not only destroy conducive atmosphere for healthy journalism but also prove derogatory to the image of the nation.

At present the overall situation marked by criminal activities, chaos, anarchy and political unrest has also caused a risk for the profession of journalism, it added.

"We notice that journalists are being killed one after another, but the killers were not identified. Such incidents are on the rise since the killers and perpetrators remain beyond the touch," said the declaration.

"We want to perform independent journalism. We want security for journalists during their professional duties," Reazuddin Ahmed said.

The editors demanded quick disposal of cases regarding the killing of journalists Shamsur Rahman and Saiful Alam Mukul.

IN OTHER PLACES
At the call of Forum to Protect Journalists, journalists held protest rallies in Chittagong, Sylhet, Comilla, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Madaripur and Tangail, to protest the killings of journalists.

The rally was not held in Khulna as local journalist leaders took part in the programme in the capital.