Sylhet Bureau

A human chain was held under the banner of journalists in Sylhet at ATM Turab Chatter (former court point) of the city on Saturday to demanded the killers of the martyred journalist ATM Turab be arrested and brought to justice within the next 48 hours.

Daily Jalalabad editor and former president of Sylhet press club Muktabis Un Noor presided over and managing editor of daily Sylhetersomoy and general secretary of Bangladesh Photojournalists Association (BPJA) Sylhet divisional committee Nurul Islam and Daily Jalalabad senior photojournalist Humayun Kabir Liton jointly directed the human chain programmr, Sylhet Press Club President Ikramul Kabir, General Secretary Mohammad Sirajul Islam, Sylhet District Press Club General Secretary Shah Didar Alam Chowdhury Noble, Sylhet Metropolitan Journalist Union President Badruddoza Badar, prominent Educationist and politician Colonel (retd.) Ali Ahmed, Founder President of Photojournalists Association Sylhet Divisional Committee Ataur Rahman Ata, Senior Vice President of Electronic Media Journalists Association (Imza) Sylhet Anis Rahman, Executive Editor of Dainik Jainta Barta. Faisal Alam, Acting President of Sylhet Online Press Club Golzar Ahmad Helal, Former President of Dakshin Surma Press Club Ashraful Islam Imran, Saiful Islam Talukder.

Speakers in the human chain said that even after a long month and a half, the killers of Turab are out of reach. However, they were in this city. They also said that it is absolutely clear who killed Turab. It is easy to identify the real culprits by watching the video footage of the day's events. Our colleagues also have video footage of the incident. The speakers also demanded the Home Affairs Advisor of the Interim Government to find the culprits behind Turab's murder.

Speakers in the human chain also said, we think Turab's killing is a part of the culture of keeping the media's mouth shut in the country in the past. It ended with the popular uprising of 5 August. But their souls will not find peace unless a proper investigation and trial is ensured for all the killings that have taken place across the country including Turab.

Journalist leaders said, '4 of our journalists have been killed in the students' movement. It was their goal that the correct picture of oppression and torture in the students' movement should not appear in the media. In this way, from time to time professional journalists have been intimidated and assaulted to silence the media. It begins with the murder of Sagar-Rooney. Due to the lack of justice for the murder of this journalist couple, the incidents of torture and murder of journalists continue to happen one after another. The speakers strongly demanded the government to enact a protection law for journalists.

Bangladesh Photojournalists Association (BPJA) Sylhet Divisional Committee Co-General Secretary Shaheen Ahmed attended the human chain programme which started with Quran recitation, Sheikh Ashraful Islam Nasir, Dulal Hossain, Nazmul Kabir Pabel, HM Arif, Shuaibul Hasan, MJH Jamil, Yahya. Maruf, Amita Sinha, Anwar Hossain, Abdul Muhid Didar, MA Wahid Chowdhury, Munsi Iqbal, Muhibur Rahman, Rajat Chakraborty, Utful Barua, Rasedul Hasan Sueb, Shipon Ahmad, Ajmal Ali, Reza Rubel, Minal Kanti Das, Ahsan Habib, Rezwan Ahmad , Kritish Talukder, Mohammad Ashraf Ullah, Ruble Mia, Tarek Chowdhury Rahel, Farhan Ahmed Chowdhury, Radhe Mallik Tapan, Md. Suhail Mia, Farooq Mia, Farooq Ahmad, Kamal Hossain Mithu, Shahinur Rahman Jewel, Latifur Rahman Uz¦al, Maruf Hasan, Rafiq Ahmad, Shipan Chandra Joy, Mizan Mohammad, KM Raihan, Mehdi Hasar Rani, Rubel Ahmad, Saqib Ahmad, Tarek Ahmad, Niazul Haque, Jaideep Chakraborty, Mohammad Ali, Javed Ahmad Imran also attend here.

Meanwhile, journalist ATM Turab was shot dead by the police while performing his professional duties in court point market of Bad Jumma Nagar on Friday, July 19. On August 19, his elder brother Abul Ahsan filed a case in the court of Sylhet seeking justice for the murder.