Journalist Imran's death: Accused still at large even after a month, family seeks justice

An almost speechless mother, mourning the loss of her only son, gazes at a framed picture of him. Unknowingly, tears escape her eyes, delicately landing on the photograph, which she tenderly wipes with her sari.

Overwhelmed with grief, she said, "What was my son's crime that he was crushed under a car's wheel? He was merely doing his job honestly, serving his country through journalism." 

These heart-wrenching words come from the mother of Mohammad Imran Hossain, a journalist from Chattogram's Rangunia Upazila.

On 31 December, around 1:30am, a jeep, locally known as Chander Gari, collided with Imran's motorcycle on the Chattogram-Kaptai highway in Rajarhat area of Rangunia, fatally ran him over.

Despite locals rushing to his aid and transporting him to Rangunia Upazila Health Complex, Imran was declared dead by the attending doctor. The same day, Imran's father, Rustam Ali, filed a case at Rangunia police station.

Imran, a correspondent for the Dainik Amader Somoy, also served as a civil engineering consultant and surveyor. On the day of the accident, he was en route to his uncle's house in Mariam Nagar on his personal FZS brand blue motorcycle after visiting a construction site.

Expressing her anguish, Imran's mother said, "It's been a month since my son died. Despite the police having knowledge of the jeep's serial number (9295) and the driver's name (Md Shahidullah), no arrests have been made. Furthermore, we are facing relentless pressure to withdraw the case, leaving us despondent about receiving justice for our son's murder."

According to Rustam Ali, the jeep struck Imran's motorcycle head-on, causing him to fall and be crushed by its wheel. Eyewitnesses attested that the jeep reversed after the collision, crushing Imran's body before fleeing the scene.

In response to suspicions about Imran's death, Rustam Ali said a local youth involved in constructing a house on government land illegally. Imran's report to the Assistant Commissioner (Lands), three months prior, led to the demolition of the youth's illegally built house. Enraged, the youth threatened retaliation, leading Rustam Ali to suspect foul play in Imran's death.

Marjan Hossain, assistant commissioner (Land) of Rangunia Upazila, acknowledged that upon receiving information from journalist Imran, she conducted a drive and stopped the construction of a building on a government khash land at Sharafbhata area at the end of September last year. 

"After the drive, Imran informed me about the threat he was receiving from the person whose building construction was stopped. I suggested him to file a general dairy with Rangunia police complaining about the threats", she said.

Imran was the only brother of three sisters. While one sister is married and another passed HSC and gained admission to university, the youngest is set to sit for SSC exams. As the sole earner, Imran supported his family and their education. His untimely death now threatens their academic pursuits.

Despite offers of financial compensation in exchange for dropping the case, Rustam Ali vehemently rejects them, demanding justice for his son's murder.

Officer-in-Charge Chandan Kumar Chakraborty of Rangunia Model Police Station said the case is under serious investigation. However, he denied knowledge of the family being pressured to withdraw the case, pledging to address the matter promptly.

As the search for justice continues, Imran's family remains steadfast, seeking closure and accountability for their irreparable loss.

Shahnawaz Riton, CEO of Center for Communication and Digital Security (CCDS), an organisation working for journalist rights and capacity building, told The Business Standard that a general diary was filed with Rangunia Police Station about the threat Imran received from local influential people. "If police had taken any action we would lose such a talented young journalist like Imran," he added.

"This is a clear hint of negligence. We hope that police will investigate Imran's murder case sincerely and bring those responsible to book soon," he added.