Murder was to destroy govt-press relations

Journalists and other staff of Maasranga Television form a human chain in front of the private television channel's Banani office in the capital yesterday demanding arrest and trial of the killers of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi. Sagar was a news editor at the channel.Photo: STAR

Former railways minister Suranjit Sengupta yesterday in parliament claimed that journalist couple Sagar and Runi were murdered “to destroy good relations between the present government and the press".
While discussing supplementary budget, the Awami League (AL) senior lawmaker also claimed that a Saudi diplomat was assassinated in the capital "in a bid to destroy government relations with Middle Eastern countries".
Before Suranjit, a ruling alliance MP Rashed Khan Menon, president of Workers Party of Bangladesh, criticised the government for its failure to reveal the killers of the two murders.
Menon said instead of finding out the culprits and reasons, concerned ministers and government officials were confusing people by their statements on the incidents at different times.
Suranjit who resigned as the railways minister on April 16, said Bangladesh is a Muslim majority country having very nice relationship with the Middle Eastern countries.
“But a diplomat of a Middle Eastern country was murdered in such a skilled way that law enforcement agencies could not find any clue in the killing,” Suranjit said adding the killing took place to destroy AL government relations with the Middle Eastern countries.
In presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Suranjit also said the journalist couple were also assassinated in the same way.
Journalist couple Sagar Sarowar, a news editor of Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, a senior reporter of ATN Bangla were killed in their residence of the capital on February 11.
On March 6, unidentified gunman shot dead Khalaf Al Ali, a Saudi diplomat.
In the discussion, Suranjit also blasted Menon for criticising prime minister's energy adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury.
Menon, in his speech during the session, heavily criticised the adviser for his recent comment that those who talk against rental power plant are seditious and have no patriotism.