(Media Watch/IFEX) On December 6 2005, the banned Islamist militant outfit Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) threatened to bomb the Chittagong Press Club (CPC) and to kill twenty-two journalists working in the city. Chittagong is the largest port city of the country, located 264 kilometers from the capital of Dhaka. The death threat, in the form […]
(Media Watch/IFEX) On December 6 2005, the banned Islamist militant outfit Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) threatened to bomb the Chittagong Press Club (CPC) and to kill twenty-two journalists working in the city. Chittagong is the largest port city of the country, located 264 kilometers from the capital of Dhaka.
The death threat, in the form of a hand-written letter, was delivered by post to CPC President Abu Sufian at about 1:00 p.m. (local time). In the letter, the JMB claimed to have a well-organised network in Chittagong and called the journalists “betrayers.” In addition to the president and secretaries of the CPC and the Chittagong Union of Journalists, the death list included the resident editor of “Protom Alo”, Abul Momen, as well as journalists Farok Iqbal, Biswajeet Chowdhury, Anjan Kumer Sen, Samaresh Baiddya, Sumi Khan, and Ali Abbas, among others.
The managing committee of the CPC reported the incident immediately to the Kotwali police station and has convened an emergency meeting to determine the next course of action, according to the CPC president.
The CPC previously received a similar letter issuing the same threats. A contingent of the police has been guarding the club around the clock for some time. Only one day before the current threat, the managing committee decided to install a closed-circuit television camera and a metal detector at the club entrance.
