Human chain in protest against journalist arrest in Shailkupa, demand removal of OC

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A human chain and protest program was held demanding the release of a journalist arrested in the Shailkupa murder case in Jhenaidah and the removal of the officer-in-charge (OC) of the police station Humayun Kabir Mollah. The victim’s family and local journalists took part in the program organized at Jhenaidah Post Office junction at around 11 o’clock on Monday. They demanded the unconditional release of the arrested journalist.

The arrested person’s name is Ashraful Islam. He is a resident of Madhavpur village in the upazila and is the district representative of the online media Bangla Edition and works for a local newspaper, his family said.

According to the family, the police called Ashraful Islam from his house last Saturday night and arrested him. He was sent to court in the Mohan Sheikh murder case on Sunday afternoon. He is currently in the district jail.

Speakers in the human chain said that Mohan Sheikh (70) was killed on April 23 due to a conflict between the supporters of upazila BNP president Abul Hossain and the joint general secretary of the district Jubodal Abu Zahid Chowdhury over the expansion of dominance in Madhavpur village of Manoharpur union of Shailkupa upazila. The deceased was a supporter of Mohan Sheikh Abu Zahid Chowdhury. Arrested Ashraful Islam was also a supporter of the same party and was vocal in demanding justice after the murder.

Speakers alleged that although Ashraful Islam was not named in the statement of the case, he was called from his home late at night and arrested.

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Ashraful Islam’s wife Shanta Khatun said that on Saturday night, the police called her husband Ashraful to have tea. Later came to know that he was arrested in a murder case.

Jhenaidah District Reporters Unity President MA Kabir said that the police involved Ashraful in this case out of personal anger. Questioning the role of the police during the murder, he angered the officials concerned.

Meanwhile, Haroon Or Rashid, the plaintiff in the Mohan Sheikh murder case, said that he did not get any information about Ashraful Islam’s involvement. For this reason, he gave a written affidavit to the court today through the lawyer.

Shailkupa police station OC Humayun Kabir Mollah was tried several times to get a statement on the matter, but no response was received from him.