Arrest Sagar-Runi killers by Jan 19 or face tough movement: Journos

Journalists on Tuesday threatened to announce a tough programme from their January 20 grand rally if the killers of journalist couple Sagar-Runi are not arrested by January 19, reports UNB. "We will announce a tough programme from our January 20 grand rally if the killers of Sagar-Runi and the trial process of the killers of all the slain journalists are not expedited," said Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ). He was addressing a siege of the Home Ministry by the journalists. The journalists laid siege programme to the visitors' gate of the ministry demanding arrest and trial of the killers of all the slain journalists, including those of Sagar-Runi. They observed the siege programme without any obstruction from police. The journalists in a procession from the National Press Club went to the visitors' gate of the Home Ministry at about 12 noon and laid their siege there until 1:30 pm. Nobody was allowed to enter into or come out of the Secretariat during the siege programme of the journalists. Criticising Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir for his comments on their siege programme, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said he hurt the sentiment of the journalists by making such comments. He also warned that they would launch a tough movement against the Home Minister if he makes unexpected and unnecessary comments hurting their sentiment again. "You (MK Alamgir) have not yet felt the power of united journalists. When you will realise it, you cannot remain Home Minister." On December 25, MK Alamgir said the investigation into the journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi murder cannot be expedited by laying siege to the Home Ministry.