Five detained, hunt on for mastermind

Police have detained five persons in connection with the murder of journalist Mashiur Rahman Utsho and gleaned some "important information" from them, including identification of the mastermind, claimed Superintended of Police (SP) Md Abdur Razzak.

He said they have already launched drives to arrest the main killer of Utsho.

SP Razzak made this disclosure to scores of journalists who handed over a memorandum to him after laying siege to his SP office in Kacharibazar area of the city yesterday demanding immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the culprits.

He, however, declined to disclose the identities of the detainees except one drug peddler, Roksana Begum of Boiriganj in Mithapukur upazila of the district, for the sake of investigation.

Earlier, the journalists under the banner of Sammilita Sangbadik Samaj brought out a silent procession in the city. They later handed over another memorandum to the Rangpur deputy commissioner demanding immediate action to arrest the culprits.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Mostain Billah who received the memorandum assured the agitating journalists of immediate action in this regard.

Unidentified assailants hacked to death Utsho, 30, staff reporter of the Daily Juger Alo, tying him to a tree in an isolated place in Rangpur city on Wednesday night. Police recovered the body from Dharmadas area on Thursday. Later, a murder case was filed.

After the murder, Utsho's colleagues said he might have been murdered for writing on drug peddling in the city. Following his reports, law enforcers busted some dens of drug peddlers and traders.

Various journalists' organisations in Rangpur formed Sammilita Sangbadik Samaj, a platform, on Sunday to press home the demand with Ali Ashraf, general secretary of Rangpur Press Club, as the convener and Sharifuzzaman Bulu, president of Rangpur City Press Club, as the member secretary.