Journalists’ leader blames discord for failure to bring murderers of colleagues to book

A journalist union leader has blamed discord within the fraternity for the failure to bring the killers of newspersons, including those of couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, to book.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 Feb 2016, 03:33 PM
Updated : 14 Feb 2016, 03:33 PM

Omar Faruq, general secretary of the pro-Awami League faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, was speaking at a discussion hosted by the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday to mark the fourth death anniversary of the journalist couple.

“There was a time when no one could get away by harming a journalist because of the unity among us,” Faruq said.

“Now we are divided; so, they are going scot-free. All murders face trials, but not of journalists.” he said.  

The undivided journalists’ union had been active in all movements in Bangladesh. It split into pro-Awami League and pro-BNP factions following a movement against former military dictator HM Ershad.

Initially, all factions within journalists’ unions had joined hands in pressing for the arrest and trial of Sagar and Runi’s killers but the ‘unity’ seemed to wither later. The couple were murdered in their Dhaka flat in 2012.

The law-enforcing agencies are yet to finish the investigation.

Faruq urged journalists to unite to safeguard their own interests.

“We will face greater danger if we do not unite,” he said.