Hasina, 7 journos sued for murder

A murder case has been filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 192 others, including seven journalists, over the death of a student during protests in Dhaka's Jatrabari on July 19.

The journalists are Mozammel Haque Babu, managing director and editor-in-chief of Ekattor TV; Syed Ishtiaque Reza, former chief news editor (CNE) of Ekattor TV; Ahmed Jobaer, a director of Somoy TV; Munni Saha, former CNE of ATN News; Farzana Rupa, former principal correspondent of Ekattor TV; Shakil Ahmed, former head of news at Ekattor TV; and Nayeemul Islam Khan, Hasina's press secretary.

Among them, couple Shakil and Farzana are on remand for four days in another murder case filed at Uttara East Police Station. They were arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Wednesday.

An organisation of broadcast journalists has expressed concerns over their arrest.

The case accusing Hasina and the seven journalists was filed over the death of Nayeem Howlader, 17, an HSC student at Shanarpar Rowshan Ara Degree College. He was shot dead in Jatrabari during the anti-quota protests that culminated in an uprising. His father Kamrul Islam filed the case at Jatrabari Police Station on Thursday.

Multiple former ministers and MPs, mayors, police officers, Awami League leaders, Jubo League and Chhatra League members, as well as Rapid Action Battalion officials, 80-90 police officers and members assigned to the Wari Zone on the day of the incident, and 250-300 unidentified individuals, were also accused in the case.

Dozens of cases have so far been filed against Hasina, her party members and law enforcement officers over the killings during the protests.

Journalists have also been named in some of the cases, a feature of the previous Awami League government.

Asked why such cases are still occurring, Asif Nazrul, the law adviser to the interim government, said: "We cannot prevent a parent of a slain student from filing a case based on their judgment."

The previous government had institutionalised the practice of filing such broad cases, he said.

"Perhaps we are witnessing the aftermath now. However, we will ensure that no one is harassed without a proper investigation," the adviser added.

In the case filed at Jatrabari Police Station, the father said some "reckless, corrupt, self-serving and overly enthusiastic officers" of the police, Rab and BGB indiscriminately opened fire on the protesting students and civilians on direct and indirect orders from Hasina and 14-Party Alliance leaders.

The accused, armed and intending to launch an armed assault on the peaceful protesters, recklessly fired shots at the innocent students, the plaintiff said.

This resulted in the deaths of over a thousand people including his son Nayeem, with countless others injured, according to the first information report.

The other accused include Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, currently serving as the South East Asian regional director for the World Health Organisation, Hasina's cousin and former MP Sheikh Helal Uddin, and his son and ex-lawmaker Sheikh Sarhan Naser Tonmoy.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader, leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Anisul Haque, Dipu Moni, Tajul Islam, Mohammad A Arafat, SM Rezaul Karim, Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Hasan Mahmud, Shajahan Khan, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, and Zunaid Ahmed Palak were accused too. The allies of Hasina who were named in the case include Anwar Hossain Manju, Hasanul Haq Inu and Rashed Khan Menon.

Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, Atiqul Islam, former mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation, former MP Haji Mohammad Salim, former BCL president Badiuzzaman Sohag, its former general secretaries Zakir Hossain and Siddique Nazmul Alam, Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil, former MP and actor Ferdous Ahmed, and Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee president Shahriar Kabir are also among the accused.

The police officers accused in the case include former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, former DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman, former DB chief Harunor Rashid, DMP's Wari Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Iqbal Hossain, former Special Branch chief Monirul Islam, former DMP joint commissioners Biplob Kumar Sarkar and SM Mehedi Hasan, and assistant commissioner of Lalbagh Zone Nazrul Islam.

BJC EXPRESSES CONCERN

The Broadcast Journalist Center (BJC) has expressed concern over the arrests of journalist couple Shakil and Farzana.

Television journalism was hampered and questioned due to repressive laws, authoritarian behaviour, and ownership patterns during the previous regime, BJC said in a statement yesterday.

The recent mass uprising of students and people has raised hopes of creating a field of independent journalism, the statement said.

But a series of events have revived old concerns about TV journalism recently, it said.

The BJC has urged all stakeholders, including the interim government, to play their role in ensuring the safety of journalists and a conducive working environment.

They demanded legal aid for Shakil and Rupa, and justice for another journalist couple, Sagar Sarwoar and Meherun Runi, who had been murdered in 2012.