The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has voiced serious concern for the safety of journalists in the Khulna district of Bangladesh after calling for a full enquiry into the cause of the recent bomb blast outside the Khulna Press Club.
Sheikh Belaluddin Ahmed, bureau chief of daily Sangram, was critically wounded after touching a bag attached to his parked motorcycle, containing a bomb police suspect was detonated by a remote control.
Sheikh Abu Hasan, Khulna Press Club President, Sheikh Jahid Hossain, staff photographer of daily Jugantor, and Tutul Ahmed, staff reporter of daily Loksomaj, were also injured in the blast while walking towards their motorcycles.
“A full investigation is needed to prosecute those behind these attacks and to put a stop to violence against journalists,” said IFJ president Christopher Warren today.
The police are unsure about the cause of the attack, but outlawed groups have allegedly been threatening journalists in the region.
Five journalists have already been killed in the Khulna district in the last 10 years. Humayun Kabir Balu, editor of daily Janmabhum, was killed in a bomb attack on June 27 last year and a few months earlier, a similar incident killed Manik Saha, bureau chief of the New Age.
The IFJ joins the Khulna Press Club, the Khulna Union of Journalists and the Metropolitan Union of Journalists in their protests against the bomb attack and supports their calls for increased safety.
“The safety of local journalists is a priority for the global journalism community,” said Warren.
For further information contact Christopher Warren on +61 (0) 411 757 668
The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries
