A global media safety and rights body has sought a fair probe into the circumstances that led to the death of Hasan Mehedi, a digital media reporter, during the violent students’ protest in Bangladesh on July 18.
In a statement issued late July 19 night, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said the 35-year-old Mehedi, who worked for Bangla portal Dhaka Times, was killed while covering the clashes between the agitating students and security forces in the Jatrabari area of Dhaka.
The Dhaka Times management confirmed that he died from a bullet injury in the head.
Mehedi was the 72nd journalist killed across the world since January 1.
“We demand a fair probe into the incident that led to Mehedi’s killing. As the populous country burns with anti-reservation protests by the youth, the authorities must take precautions to safeguard the media persons on the ground,” PEC president Blaise Lempen said.
“The journalists in Bangladesh continue to work in an adverse situation because of many laws formulated by Dhaka in recent years. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must look into the matter seriously and adequately compensate the bereaved family as early as possible,” he said.
Nava Thakuria, the Guwahati-based South Asia representative of PEC, said many Bangla media outlets remained unresponsive since Thursday when the country witnessed massive protests by the student community.
Mehedi was the first journalist to be killed this year in Bangladesh. Its neighbour Myanmar lost a scribe (Ko Myat Thu Tun) to military atrocities during this period.
India witnessed the killing of two journalists, Shivshankar Jha and Ashutosh Shrivastava. Pakistan lost eight journalists —Hassan Zaib, Khalil Afridi Jibran, Nasrullah Gadani, Kamran Dawar, Mehar Ashfaq Siyal, Maulana Mohammad Siddique Mengal, Jam Saghir Ahmad Lar, and Tahira Nosheen Rana — to assailants this year.
