Five detained over Gazipur journalist murder

Five persons were detained over suspected involvement in the killing of journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhinat Chandana Chowrasta area in Gazipur city on Thursday evening. Shahin Khan, officer-in-charge of Basan police station under GMP, confirmed the detention of five suspects but withheld their identities to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.

According to local sources, those identified in CCTV footage include Ketu Mizan of the Chandana Chowrasta area, his associate Shah Jamal, and others known as Bullet and Sujan. They are reportedly well-known extortionists and muggers in the locality. The incident has cast a shadow of grief and anger among journalists, professionals, and the general public, who are demanding swift justice and the immediate arrest of the killers.

CCTV footage also captured a scuffle between one Badsha Mia, and a woman. Badsha is currently hospitalized and claimed the women involved took Tk 30,000 from him. He said he did not know them beforehand. Tuhin’s first namaz-e-janaza took place after Friday prayers near Eidgah field at Chandana Chowrasta. Photo: Dhaka Tribune

Meanwhile, Tuhin’s elder brother Selim expressed the family’s loss, saying his brother’s wife Farida Akter and their two young sons, five-year-old Towkir Hossain Taiki and three-year-old Abdullah Al Fahim, have been left orphaned. “Why was my brother killed? Who will now take care of them?” he asked, urging for justice and arrest of the perpetrators.

In response to the murder, local residents staged protests in Chandana last night, demanding the arrest of those responsible. Additionally, the Gazipur Journalists’ Union organized a human chain and rally in front of Gazipur Press Club on Friday morning, reiterating the call for the swift apprehension of those involved.

Speakers at the human chain, including Gazipur Journalists’ Union President Delwar Hossain and prominent journalists Fazlul Haque Morol, Majharul Islam, Masud Rana, and others, condemned the deteriorating law and order situation in Gazipur. They emphasized the urgent need to identify and bring to justice the extortionists and robbers who operate with impunity, as well as their supporters. The accused, they said, were clearly identified in CCTV footage, and failure to arrest them is a serious administrative lapse.

Tuhin’s first namaz-e-janaza took place after Friday prayers near Eidgah field at Chandana Chowrasta, followed by the second janaza in the afternoon at the family graveyard in their native village, Bhatipara in Fulbaria Upazila of Mymensingh, where he will be laid to rest.

Taherul Haque Chauhan, additional commissioner (crime) for GMP, said police are working with multiple teams focusing on the case. “Several suspects have been identified, and operations to arrest them are ongoing. We hope to detain those responsible soon,” he said, adding that the full picture of the crime will emerge once the culprits are in custody.

Asaduzzaman Tuhin’s murder has sent shockwaves across Gazipur, highlighting the urgent need for stronger law enforcement to ensure the safety of journalists and citizens alike.