The family members of Ilias, a journalist based in Narayanganj, on Thursday demanded capital punishment for the killers through free and fair trial.
Members of the slain journalist’s family raised the demands at a press conference in the auditorium of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) in the city’s Segunbagicha.
Ilias, hailing from Bandar upazila in Narayanganj, was killed for publishing news about illegal gas connection and drug trading syndicates.
On behalf of the family, his mother, wife and two children were present at the press conference.
Julekha Begum, the journalist’s wife, alleged that a local vested quarter has been engaged to divert the case in a different direction. “In this situation, I’m demanding a proper investigation as well as fair trial into the case,” she said.
Police have already arrested two accused, but others are giving the family threats, she added.
Julekha said that her husband was the Bandar correspondent of the daily Swadesh Amar. Earlier, he was working as a Bandar correspondent of local newspaper “Vijay”.
She said locals cowered in fear of Masood Pradhan, who controls illegal gas connection in the area as well as drug syndicates. The residents of the area requested Ilias to write on the gangs, smuggling, gas syndicate and drug trafficking.
When the report was published, Masood and his accomplices became angry and they tortured Ilias in a torture cell run by Masood.
When Sentu, the Editor of the newspaper where Ilias worked, was informed about the matter, he assured that it would be resolved and requested Ilias to refrain from filing police complaint, she said.
Ilias was hacked to death by some unidentified miscreants in Bandar area of Narayanganj on October 11 night.
A case was filed with Bandar police accusing Tushar (26), Hasnat Ahmed Turjoy, Masud (36), Sagar (27), Pavel (25), Hazrat Ali (50), Michir Ali (53) and Mina (60) and some unidentified miscreants.
