Missing Journalist: Police Not Taking Case

Police are not prosecuting the case of Shafiqul Islam Kajol, a journalist who has been missing for the last 8 days.

Kajol, an offender, alongside Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury and 30 others, has been missing since 10 March, since the case was lodged against him, under the Digital Security Act for publishing and posting a news report on social media concerning expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papia.

Instantly after Kajol disappeared, a general diary (GD) was issued with Chawkbazar police station, as Kajol lived with his family in the Bakshibazar area.

Kajol's family is now trying desperately to lodge a kidnapping case, but Chawkbazar police station is referring him to the police station in New Market as he was last seen in front of his office in Meher Tower in Hatirpool.

Kajol's son Monorom Polok told media that for the last three to four days he had been going to Chawkbazar Police Station, and last time he went to New Market Police Station yesterday. But both police stations rejected taking up the case.

Polok said: "Chawkbazar police station told us to lodge the case with New Market police station as they monitored his phone call and last tracked him down in that place. On the other side, New Market police station tells us to lodge it with Chawkbazar as he left home at 3 p.m. and we didn't see him again."

Polok claimed to have seen his father in the CCTV footage collected from Kajol's office area.

"[The video shows] my father came to the office and then left. He was waiting around 20 minutes for someone on his motorcycle in front of his office and was using a mobile. He left the office at about 6:50 pm."

Polok suspects, his father might have been kidnapped.

"I think he's been abducted after searching him [for too long]. My father always feared the problem [of a lawsuit brought against him]. [Besides] he was waiting for somebody. I suspect someone told him to go somewhere."

SM Kaiyum, New Market Police Station officer-in-charge (OC), said they would not be able to locate him after he left home. "We can not do much, because he left on his motorcycle."

The whole incident happened under Chawkbazar police station, OC Kaiyum said.

Moudud Hawladar, officer-in-charge of Chawkbazar police station, said: "We have collected video footage. He worked at his office from 4 pm to 7 pm. If anything occured after, that will go to New Market police station."

"We scanned his call list, and we found his phone turned off after leaving his office," he added.

Kajol is the editor of the fortnightly Pakkhokal and he worked at the dailies Samakal and Bonik Barta as a photo-journalist.