Journalist leaders in Khulna have demanded for a reinvestigation into the murder of journalist and Ekushey Padak awardee Manik Chandra Saha, alleging that the real masterminds behind the killing remain unidentified even after 22 years.
The demand was raised on Thursday at memorial meetings marking the 22nd death anniversary of Manik Saha, organized by the Khulna Journalists Union (KUJ) and the Khulna Press Club.
Speakers at a memorial meeting held at the KUJ office said that the administration has failed to expose the planners, financiers, and godfathers of the killing. They expressed dissatisfaction with the existing verdict, calling it “incomplete and misleading,” and said it has left the victim’s family and the journalist community deeply frustrated.
They noted that more than two decades have passed, yet the motive behind the killing remains unknown and the real perpetrators are still beyond the reach of the law. Stressing that the people of Khulna deserve to know the truth, the speakers demanded a fresh and impartial investigation to bring all those responsible to justice.
KUJ Vice President Kazi Shamim Ahmed presided over the meeting, while KUJ General Secretary Mahendranath Sen conducted the proceedings. Among the speakers were BFUJ Joint Secretary General Md. Hedayet Hossain Molla, BFUJ Executive Member Kaushik Dey Bapi, Khulna Press Club Convener Md. Enamul Haque, former KUJ President Anwarul Islam Kajol, Communist Party leader Mizanur Rahman Babu, and Manik Saha’s younger brother Pradip Saha.
Following the meeting, journalists and representatives of various organizations paid floral tributes at the Shaheed Journalists’ Memorial on the Khulna Press Club premises. Wreaths were also placed by the Khulna Press Club, Udichi, Bangladesh Chhatra Union (Khulna district unit), Ratan Sen Public Library, and members of Manik Saha’s family.
Earlier in the day, another memorial meeting was held at the Humayun Kabir Balu Auditorium of the Khulna Press Club. Speakers highlighted Manik Saha’s lifelong commitment to people-oriented journalism and said he was targeted for exposing the truth. They reiterated that justice has not been served despite the passage of 22 years and demanded a re-investigation to ensure punishment of the actual culprits, including the masterminds.
Manik Chandra Saha was brutally killed in a bomb attack near the Khulna Press Club on January 15, 2004. At the time of his death, he was serving as senior correspondent of The Daily Sangbad and New Age in Khulna, ETV representative, and a part-time correspondent for BBC Bangla. He was posthumously awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2009.
