KMP Commissioner vows quick arrest over attack on journalists

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), KMP Detective Branch (DB), and KMP Crime Division had been instructed to work with the highest priority to identify the perpetrators and uncover the motive behind the attack on journalists on Tuesday, Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Hasan said on Wednesday.

“Such an attack on journalists had not occurred in Khulna for many years and stressed the need for stronger cooperation between law enforcement and the media to prevent similar incidents in the future,” he said while visiting the Khulna Press Club.

He also assured journalists that law enforcement would leave no stone unturned in identifying and arresting those responsible for a shooting attack targeting several media professionals on Tuesday night.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 12:15 am on July 15 near the western side of United Nations Park under Khulna Police Station.

A group of journalists, including SATV Khulna Bureau Chief Rakibul Islam Moti, The Business Standard Khulna Correspondent Sheikh Awal, Star TV Khulna Correspondent Rafiul Islam Tutul, and Amader Shomoy Khulna Correspondent Humayun Kabir Rana, were having tea at a roadside stall when an unidentified assailant wearing a helmet slowed a motorcycle and fired a single shot at them.

The bullet missed its intended targets, and the attacker fled the scene immediately.

Treating the incident with the highest priority, the KMP Commissioner visited the Khulna Press Club and exchanged views with journalists from various media outlets. He expressed regret over the attack and assured them that ensuring the safety of journalists remained a top priority for the police.

The KMP commissioner also said a fair and impartial investigation would be conducted and that those involved would be brought to justice.

Journalists present at the meeting welcomed the commissioner’s prompt visit and his assurances regarding security and the investigation.

Khulna Press Club General Secretary Tarikul Islam expressed satisfaction with the commissioner’s immediate response, saying the journalist community had confidence in the police chief’s commitment to ensuring a proper investigation and the safety of media professionals.