Journalist found dead in Bangladesh, PEC demands authentic probe

July 10: Journalists continue to be the victim of violence in Bangladesh as the police recovered a partially decomposed body of Hashibur Rahaman Rubel on 7 July 2022. The young scribe went missing five days back and his body was found under a bridge on Garai river in Kumarkhali locality. Rubel was associated with Dainik Khustiar Khabar and Amader Notun Samay, both are Bengali newspapers, and used to edit online portal Crimevisionbd.

Press Emblem Campaign (www.pressemblem.ch), the global media safety and rights body, has demanded an authentic probe into the incident as Rubel’s body carried severe injury marks. PEC also extends moral support to Kushtia journalists who have launched protests demanding justice to Rubel’s wife Iti Khatun along with other family members. Rubel becomes the 76th media worker to be killed this year across the globe, whereas 79 media persons lost their lives to assailants in 2021.

“The war in Ukraine and the rampant criminality in Mexico become the main reasons for the alarming rise of journo-murders this year. But the south Asian region particularly countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh continue to report regular murders of scribes. We demand all the crimes to be investigated with no impunity to culprits,” commented PEC president Blaise Lempen.

In Ukraine, the conflict triggered by Russia has claimed 30 victims among media workers, 16 in the line of duty and 14 journalists killed in fighting as soldiers or volunteers in the army. Mexico witnessed 13 media victims so far which exceeds the total figure for 2021 (10 killed).

PEC’s south Asia representative Nava Thakuria informs that Rubel is the third journalist to be killed in Bangladesh this year after Mohiuddin Sarker Nayeem and Abdul Bari. Pakistan lost four media workers namely Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasnain Shah, Murtaza Shar and Athar Mateen to assailants. India witnessed the murder of Rohit Kumar Biswal, Sudhir Saini, Juned Khan Pathan and Subhash Kumar Mahato.