Abu Taher Md Turab, a 34-year-old reporter for the Daily Jalalabad and Daily Naya Diganta newspapers, was wearing a press vest when he was fatally shot by police firing into a procession of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party in northeast Sylhet city, according to New Age newspaper and a Daily Jalalabad reporter, who spoke to CPJ anonymously for fear of reprisal. Turab was covering deadly nationwide protests over government job quotas.
Authorities did not open a formal investigation into a July 24 murder complaint, filed by Turab’s brother, which accused eight to 10 unidentified police personnel of involvement, the Daily Jalalabad reporter told CPJ.
A police official told The Business Standard newspaper that authorities had already filed a separate case regarding Turab’s death and attacks on police personnel, and that several people had been arrested. However, the Daily Jalalabad reporter told CPJ that they were unaware of any arrests in connection with Turab’s killing.
Turab married in May 2024 and had returned to work from his honeymoon just weeks before the killing, the Daily Jalalabad reporter said.
Mohammad Ali Arafat, Bangladesh’s state minister for information and broadcasting, did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment via messaging app in July and August 2024.