Jamalpur journo murder triggers mass condemnation, protests

The death of journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim in Jamalpur, who died after a brutal assault by unidentified assailants on 14 June, has triggered an outcry among journalists and commoners alike.

Demanding justice, members of the news media held human chains and protests in Satkhira, Jamalpur and other places in the country.

Netizens also took to various online platforms to condemn the gruesome murder of Nadim, 42, the Jamalpur district correspondent of online portal Banglanews24.com and Bakshiganj upazila correspondent of private channel Ekattor TV.

Nadim's family alleged that he had been getting threats from Mahamudul Alam Babu, a local chairman, for publishing reports related to corruption.

Meanwhile, four people have been detained by law enforcers for their alleged involvement in the murder while the main accused, Mahmudul Alam Babu, is still on the run.

The detainees are Golam Kibria Sumon, Md Tofazzal, Aynal Haque and Md Kofil Uddin.

At a press briefing on Friday, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) spokesperson Commander Khandaker Al Moin said the elite force is working to arrest the killers of Nadim.

"No matter how powerful the killers are, they will be brought to book soon," he said.

Following the attack on 14 June, a severely injured Nadim succumbed to his injuries at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital the next day. He was buried at his family graveyard at Nilakhia Uunion of Bakshiganj upazila on Friday morning.

Journalists who attended his funeral condemned the killing and demanded immediate arrest and punishment of those responsible.

Alea Begum, the mother of the victim, broke down in tears while talking to journalists at her Bakshiganj residence on Friday.

"My son was a brave journalist in Bakshiganj, braver than all," she said.

Alea Begum accused Mahmudul Alam Babu, a union parishad (UP) chairman of Sadhurpara union, of killing her son.

"Babu chairman murdered my son for reporting on him. I want him [Babu] to be hanged for killing my son. You all will have to ensure justice for the murder," she said before losing consciousness.

In a statement, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned the murder of Nadim, stating that Nadim is the fourth journalist in South Asia to be killed in 2023, and the second in Bangladesh.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said, "The killing of journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim is unacceptable and representative of the significant risk media workers face in Bangladesh. Journalists must be allowed to carry out their work without fear of violence, intimidation, or death, and it is up to the state to guarantee their safety. Failure to do so undermines the fundamental right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The IFJ condemns in the strongest of terms the heinous killing of Golam Rabbani Nadim and demands a thorough investigation into the incident immediately."

Members of the Satkhira Press Club formed a human chain on Friday morning to protest the incident and demanded the punishment of those involved.

"There is no good governance in the country. Journalist Gholam Rabbani Nadim was brutally beaten to death by goons of UP Chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu, who is also general secretary of Jamalpur Sadhurpara Union Awami League. Criminals are now reckless as there is no justice for the killing of journalists," said local journalist leaders in a joint statement.

"Criminals have no party. Their identities are that they are criminals. We want the arrest of this Awami League leader and exemplary punishment for those involved in the incident," the said.

According to the victim's family and colleagues, on 10 May, a woman at a press conference in Bakshiganj claimed that UP chairman Mahmudul Alam Babu had secretly married her but did not want to give her the due recognition as his spouse.

Nadim and several other journalists published reports on the matter. On 17 May, Mahmudul filed a case with a Mymensingh Cyber Tribunal against Nadim and another journalist under the Digital Security Act.

But the tribunal dismissed the case on 30 May.

Nadim, whose report was run by Banglanews24.com, came to know about the dismissal of the case on Wednesday.

A local journalist who was with Nadim at the time of the attack said, "We were attacked around 10pm on Wednesday while returning home. Under attack, Nadim fell on the ground from his motorcycle. He was beaten up badly with iron rods before the assaulters left him on the ground, critically injured."

"He was first taken to Bakshiganj Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Jamalpur General Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was moved to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital," said the journalist.