Swapan Kumar Bhadra
Dhaka/New Delhi/Geneva: One more journalist, Swapan Kumar Bhadra, has been murdered in Bangladesh taking the death toll of scribes to six in the South Asian nation.
Senior journalist Bhadra, who worked for many Bengali newspapers like Dainik Swajan, Ajker Khabar and Khabar Patra, was hacked to death on October 12, 2024, by three miscreants in front of his residence at Majhipara in Mymensingh, a major financial centre and educational hub of north-central Bangladesh, about 120 kilometre north of the national capital Dhaka.
Currently, Bhadra (65) was not writing for any newspaper, but the former vice-president of Tarakanda Press Club remained active on social media where he highlighted various pertinent issues like terrorism, drug menace and anti-social activities.
The local police have already arrested a youth named Sagar Miyan and continued the search for the two others. The outspoken media person has left behind his wife, two sons and a daughter with other close relatives.
Meanwhile, India also noted “with serious concern” the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and the theft at the revered Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira in Bangladesh.
“These are deplorable events. They follow a systematic pattern of desecration and damage to temples and deities that we have witnessed over several days now. We call upon the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities and their places of worship, especially during this auspicious festival time,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated in New Delhi on October 12, 2024.
Expressing serious concern over the murder of another journalist in Bangladesh, the Geneva-based global media safety and rights body Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urged the authorities to punish the culprits and adequately compensate the victim’s family.
“Bangladesh adds another journalist to the list of journo-victims which has already reached 110 until now this year across the globe. We condemn the incident and urge the interim government head Prof Muhammad Yunus to take personal interest in delivering justice to the bereaved family as early as possible,” said Blaise Lempen, president of PEC, adding that the populous country had recently lost five journalists to assailants in the anti-Sheikh Hasina government agitation.
PEC’s South Asia representative Nava Thakuria informed that Bangladesh witnessed the murder of six media persons namely Hasan Mehedi, Shakil Hossain, Abu Taher Md Turab, Tahir Zaman Priyo, Pradip Kumar Bhowmik and Tanjil Jahan Islam Tamim till date this year. Another South Asian nation Pakistan lost ten scribes namely Nisar Lehri, Muhammad Bachal Ghunio, Malik Hassan Zaib, Khalil Afridi Jibran, Nasrullah Gadani, Kamran Dawar, Mehar Ashfaq Siyal, Maulana Mohammad Siddique Mengal, Jam Saghir Ahmad Lar and Tahira Nosheen Rana to assailants since January 1, 2024.
– global bihari bureau
