Journalist shot dead at shop in Netrokona, police suspect planned killing

A journalist working for an internet television channel was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Uttarail Bazaar in Durgapur upazila of Netrokona yesterday evening (15 October).

According to a Prothom Alo report, the victim, Lutforzzaman Alif Fakir, was the Netrokona correspondent for private IPTV channel Ruposhi Bangla. He also ran a Facebook page called "Detective Article", where he wrote about alleged irregularities and crimes.

The shooting took place at a shop along the Shyamganj-Birishiri road in Kalkamanda Municipality at around 8:15pm, when Alif was sitting inside, according to eyewitnesses and police sources.

Two young men arrived on a motorcycle and fired several shots at him before fleeing as locals rushed to the scene after hearing the gunfire.

Alif was taken to the upazila health complex, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead.

Khandaker Shaker Ahmed Khan, officer-in-charge of Durgapur Police Station, said five gunshot wounds were found on different parts of the journalist's body, including his head, neck and chest. The incident is under investigation, he added.

Superintendent of Police Md Tariqul Islam told Prothom Alo that police suspect that the killing was planned and are conducting operations to arrest those involved.

Alif's family home is in Sunoi village under Pogla union of Kolmakanda upazila.

He had also been attacked previously. On 10 November last year, assailants armed with sharp weapons injured him in the Teribazar Ghat area of the Someshwari River. A colleague who tried to intervene was also chased away at gunpoint, according to the report.