‘I only want my father back unhurt’

Family members, friends, and colleagues of missing journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol yesterday demanded that the government find him immediately.

They made the demand at two human chain programmes in the capital. 

Speaking at one of the programmes in front of the Jatiya Press Club, Kajol's son Monorom Polok said tracing a person in this modern era was not difficult for the government. 

"All I want is to get my father back, safe, and unhurt," he said. 

"Baba, we want you back very soon. Ma, my little sister and I are waiting for you." 

Covering their faces with black cloths, some photojournalists formed another human chain in front of the National Museum. 

At the event, Drik Gallery Founder and internationally renowned photographer Shahidul Alam said repressing journalists was not new in the country. 

"Such incidents happened several times before. We cannot remain silent in this situation," he said. 

"If we don't protest Kajol's incident, any of us may face the same situation at any time," said Shahidul, who was picked up from his Dhanmondi residence by law enforcers and was shown arrested later for making anti-government remarks in 2018.  

Addressing the human chain in front of the press club, Sajjad Alam Khan Topu, general secretary of a faction of Dhaka Union of Journalists, said Kajol had always been protesting irregularities and corruption since his student life. He dedicated his work to ensuring press freedom. 

"But suddenly he has gone missing in an independent country. We talked to the authorities in this regard, and they assured us that they would look into the matter. We want to believe that Kajol will be back among us very soon," said Topu. 

On March 10, Kajol, editor of Daily Pokkhokal, went missing. He left home and went to his office in the capital's Hatirpool. He was last seen leaving the office on his motorbike, according to police.  

His disappearance came a day after Saifuzzaman Shikhor, a ruling Awami League lawmaker from Magura-1, filed a case against him, Editor-in-Chief of daily Manabzamin Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, and 30 others on charges of publishing a report with "false information" and circulating it on social media. 

CASE RECORDED

Meanwhile, hours after a High Court order yesterday, Chawkbazar Model Police Station recorded the abduction case of Kajol.

His family could not file the case until last night as two police stations -- Chawkbazar and New Market -- were passing the buck on each other.  

Moudud Hawlader, officer-in-charge of the police station, said victim's son Polok lodged the case against some unknown people around 10:00pm.

In the case statement, the complainant said some unidentified criminals kidnapped his father from in front of his newspaper office on March 10 for his write-ups.

"We finally became able to take a legal step against my father's abduction. We hope that it would help locate my father and ensure his safe return," said Polok while talking to The Daily Star after he had lodged the case.

Earlier in the day, the HC said the family could file a case with any of the two police stations after Jyotirmoy Barua, a Supreme Court lawyer, placed a newspaper report before an HC bench seeking necessary orders.

The report was published yesterday in The Daily Star with the headline "Missing Journalist Shafiqul: Police stations pass buck, yet to record case".

The bench of Justice M Ashraful Kamal and Justice Sardar Mohammad Rashed Jahangir asked Jyotirmoy to send the victim's family members to the police station they chose.

Then Kajol's son Polok went to New Market Police Station to file a case, but the police station did not record any case. 

Around 4:00pm, Jyotirmoy informed the HC bench that the police station did not record any case, then the court issued a rule upon the government to explain as to why the case was not recorded by 11:00am today. 

'LOCATE KAJOL IMMEDIATELY'

Meanwhile, Rights body Amnesty International yesterday urged the Bangladesh government to locate journalist Kajol immediately and put an end to repression on journalists in the country. 

In a press statement, it also urged the government to promptly amend the "draconian" Digital Security Act in compliance with the international human rights laws. 

"Journalists in Bangladesh are being silenced under the draconian Digital Security Act," said Saad Hammadi, South Asia campaigner of Amnesty. 

Citing several recent incidents of repression on journalists, he said, "Freely expressing one's views in Bangladesh can come at a very high cost."  

"The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Kajol send a chilling message that people can no longer express their opinions freely and safely," Hammadi said, urging the government to ensure his release if he is under state custody. 

The statement also mentioned how Kurigram journalist Ariful Islam was picked up from his house at midnight and was tortured and threatened him putting into an "encounter," a term popularly referred for extrajudicial execution.