On February 19, 2021, Borhan Uddin Muzakkir, a Bangladeshi reporter for the news website Barta Bazar and the newspaper Bangladesh Samachar, was shot in the throat while covering clashes in the street between two factions of the ruling Awami League party, in the Companiganj area of southern Noakhali district, according to news reports.
Muzakkir was initially taken to the Noakhali General Hospital, before being transferred to the intensive care unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he died at about 10:45 p.m. on February 20, according to those reports.
Police and armed demonstrators opened fire during the clashes; police fired blanks and aimed at the sky to quell the protest, but also “fired 10-12 bullets to disperse the clashing groups,” according to The Daily Star. At least 50 people were injured during the demonstration, including nine who were shot, according to that report. CPJ could not determine who fired the shots that killed Muzakkir.
On February 23, Muzakkir’s father, Nurul Huda Master, filed a police murder case over the journalist’s killing, according to news reports, which said that the case did not name any assailants, and that police had opened an investigation.
CPJ emailed the Bangladeshi police for comment but did not receive any response.
Barta Bazar did not immediately reply to CPJ’s request for comment via messaging app. CPJ was unable to find contact information for Bangladesh Samachar.