Miscreants hacked to death a journalist in Gazipur in the Chandana Chowrasta area of the city around 8:30 pm on Thursday.
The deceased was Md Asaduzzaman Tuhin, 38, from Bhatipara village in Fulbaria upazila of Mymensingh. He was a staff reporter for the Daily Protidiner Kagoj in Gazipur. A video of his murder has since spread on Facebook.
According to police sources, Asaduzzaman Tuhin lived in the Chowrasta area of Gazipur city. A group of five to six miscreants, allegedly due to a previous conflict, chased him with sharp weapons near the Chandana Chowrasta intersection around 8:30 pm on Thursday.
At that time, he ran and sought refuge inside a tea shop in the Eidgah Market. However, the attackers entered the shop and began stabbing him indiscriminately. They fled the scene after confirming he was dead.
Local businessman Khairul Islam said, “I was sitting in my shop when Tuhin suddenly ran in. Three men followed him into the shop and hacked him to death. Two others stood guard outside with sharp weapons. When I tried to intervene, they threatened to kill me as well. Many people were watching the scene unfold, but no one came forward to help.”
A review of journalist Asaduzzaman’s Facebook profile showed he shared a video of the Chandana Chowrasta area around 8:00 pm with the caption: “Scenes of people crossing roads as they please, Gazipur Chowrasta.”
Two hours earlier, he had posted a photo of a wall beside Joydebpur rail gate and wrote, “Those who travel through Joydebpur will recognise this road. Due to the lack of drainage repair, such a beautiful road is being ruined. Public property is being destroyed because of the authorities’ negligence.”
Gazipur Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Md Robiul Hasan said, “We have obtained some video footage of the incident and some useful clues. We have launched an operation to catch those involved. It is very unfortunate that a journalist was murdered in such a brutal manner.”
Gazipur’s Basan police station officer-in-charge (OC) Shahin Khan said that police recovered the journalist’s body and sent it to the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College morgue in Gazipur.
Correction: This report initially said, based on preliminary information from local sources, that journalist Asaduzzaman had gone live on Facebook Thursday afternoon (7 August) from the Chandna Chourasta area regarding extortion from footpaths and shops.
Later, no such live video could be confirmed after reviewing his profile. Therefore, this information was corrected at Prothom Alo Bangla at 11:38 pm on 7 August.
However, Prothom Alo English edition had not given any correction on that day. The correction was given later.