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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| 8 Held for Editorâs Murder |
| 2004-06-29 |
| Police detained eight suspects in connection with a bomb attack that killed a newspaper editor in southwestern Bangladesh, an official said yesterday. Humayun Kabir, 56, editor of Bengali-language newspaper Dainik Janmabhumi, was killed Sunday outside his office in Khulna city, 140 km southwest of the capital Dhaka. Witnesses said assailants hurled at least three bombs at Kabir as he stepped out of his car along with his two sons and daughter. Kabirâs 27-year-old son, Asif, was wounded in the attack, while the two other children escaped unhurt. Kabirâs office is located in a three-story apartment building he owned. âWe have launched an investigation into the killing and have so far detained eight suspects,â said Akbar Ali, a senior police officer in Khulna. Ali said police raided several homes in Khulna late Sunday and picked up the suspects. He provided no further details. He said the motive of Kabirâs murder is unclear. Hours after the attack, the outlawed Purbo Bangla Communist Party claimed responsibility for the killing. An unnamed caller told a local newspaper Kabir was killed in a campaign by underground communist cadres in a bid to wipe out âclass enemiesâ. Colleagues, however, have said Kabir had recently received threats over the telephone from extortionists, who were demanding 50,000 takas ($900). Kabirâs newspaper also had published articles on organized crime in the city. Journalists in Bangladesh often face threats, assault or even death for reporting on sensitive topics like corruption, political violence or organized crime, media rights groups say. |
| Posted by:Fred |