‘Reporting cost him his life’

Says brother of slain journalist Alif

Sadequr Rahman Fakir, younger brother of journalist Lutfozzaman Fakir Alif, who was shot dead in Netrokona’s Durgapur yesterday, alleged that his brother had faced previous attacks and threats.

“They [attackers] did not let my brother live. He was hacked before as well. A case was filed, but nothing came of it. Perhaps nothing will happen this time either. Please, at least stand by us. We want exemplary punishment for those responsible,” he said yesterday while waiting outside the morgue at Netrokona Modern Sadar Hospital for his brother’s autopsy.

“My brother’s fault was that he reported about border smuggling, spoke out against drug dealers and exposed irregularities. These are what cost him his life.”

Alif worked as the Netrokona correspondent for IPTV channel Ruposhi Bangla. He also ran a Facebook page called “Detective Article”, where he regularly wrote about corruption, irregularities, and criminal activities.

Around 8:00pm on Thursday, unidentified assailants shot dead Alif, 44, of Dhitpur Shunui village in Netrokona’s Kalmakanda upazila, in the Telonjia area of Durgapur, where he used to live with his family.

Before that, criminals hacked him in the upazila’s Teribazar Ghat area on November 10 last year.

According to locals, Alif was chatting with others at a shop when two arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire. Hearing the gunshots, locals rushed to the spot, but the attackers fled on the bike.

This correspondent visited the slain journalist’s home in the Telonjia area yesterday morning and found the family members stricken with grief.

Alif’s wife Anondita Sangma, said, “Shortly before the incident, Alif came home from the shop and then left again. I thought he would return soon, so I was waiting for him with our one-and-a-half-year-old son, Ayan Safwan, and our daughter, Pranto.”

Then someone came and told her that her husband was shot. “What was his fault? He only spoke out against irregularities. Did he have to be killed for that?” she asked.

Asked about any development in the murder investigation, Md Tarikul Islam, superintendent of Netrokona police, told The Daily Star, “Multiple teams from the police, Detective Branch, and Criminal Investigation Department are working to identify the attackers.”

A five-member probe team, led by the additional superintendent of police (crime), has also been formed, he said.

“An operation is underway to quickly identify and arrest those involved in the killing. Checkpoints have been set up at various locations. No one involved will be spared,” the SP added.