Hasan Mehedi, a 31-year-old reporter for the news website Dhaka Times, was killed while covering clashes in the Jatrabari area of Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, during deadly nationwide protests over government job quotas, according to news reports.
Police fatally shot Mehedi at close range, according to Dhaka Times editor Arifur Rahman Dolon, citing a journalist who witnessed the attack. Mehedi is survived by his wife and two daughters.
A police sub-inspector told the Prothom Alo newspaper that he had filed a case regarding the death of Mehedi and others, claiming they were fatally shot by criminals impersonating quota protesters.
Mohammad Ali Arafat, Bangladesh’s state minister for information and broadcasting, did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment sent via messaging app sent in July and August 2024.