Journalists in Khulna yesterday demanded intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fresh probe into the Humayun Kabir Balu killing case as all the accused were acquitted because of weak investigation and flawed charge sheet.
They also demanded a fresh trial of the case at a discussion meeting at Khulna Press Club, marking the 11th death anniversary of journalist Humayun Kabir Balu.
Chaired by Mokbul Hossain Mintu, president of Khulna Press Club, the meeting was addressed, among others, by vice-president Anisuzzaman and Farid Ahmed, general secretary Subir Kumar Roy, former general secretary Md. Saheb Ali and Sayeduzzaman Samrat.
According to BSS report, earlier, they placed wreaths at the Journalists’ Monument on the Press Club premises followed by a doa mahfil.
Meanwhile, Khulna Working Journalists Unity (KWJU) brought out a mourning procession to mark the day. The procession paraded different streets in the city and ended on the Press Club premises.
KWJU President Gouranga Nandi spoke after the rally at Journalists’ Monument.
He also demanded arrest of the mastermind behind Balu murder and trial of the killings of around 20 journalists, including Manik Saha in a special tribunal.
Earlier in the day, KWJU placed wreaths at the monument built on the premises of the Press Club in memory of the slain journalists.
Different socio-cultural organizations, including city Awami League, Humayun Kabir Balu Smriti Parisad and members of Janmobhumi and Rajpather Dabi, also placed wreaths at the Journalists’ Monument and at the grave of Balu at Basupara in the city and offered special prayers seeking peace of the departed soul.
Humayun Kabir Balu, editor of the Dainik Janmobhumi, was killed in a bomb attack on June 27 in 2004 in front of his residence at Islampur Road in the city.
The then sub-inspector Maruf Ahmed of Khulna Kotwali Police Station filed a murder case the following day without mentioning anyone’s name as accused.
Police submitted a chargesheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on April 25, 2005, accusing 10 people. Later, the case was transferred to the Speedy Trial Tribunal in Khulna.
Judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal ordered the Detective Branch (DB) of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) to reinvestigate the case following a petition filed by prosecution lawyer Abu Zafar. Then DB inspector Chitta Ranjan Pal pressed a supplementary chargesheet on August 8 in 2007, accusing 11 people. Five of them were killed in shootouts with law enforcers during the trial.
