Plot to Kill EWMGL Managing Director: Journalist leaders demand punishment of perpetrators

Strongly condemning the plot to assassinate East West Media Group Ltd (EWMGL) Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir, journalist leaders have demanded that exemplary punishment be meted out to the perpetrators through fair and impartial investigation. On November 5, police arrested Saiful Islam Saad, 23, from Bashundhara Residential Area in the capital for his involvement in a plot to kill Sayem Sobhan Anvir, also Managing Director of country’s leading industrial conglomerate Bashundhara Group. The arrestee hails from Patiya in Chattogram. During primary interrogation, Saad told police that the murder plot was hatched at the behest of MP from Chattogram-12 constituency (Patiya) and Jatiya Sangsad Whip Shamsul Haque Chowdhury and his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun. He confessed that Sharun gave him a good sum of money and a firearm to accomplish the killing mission. Saad was later put on remand. Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, former information adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and editor of the Daily Observer, said, “I strongly condemn and protest the incident first. I think it's a big conspiracy. Since police have arrested one person, we hope there’ll be a fair probe and exemplary punishment will be meted out to those who are responsible for it.” Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, also senior vice-president of Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO), said: “The MD of Bashundhara Group is not only a media entrepreneur but also a top businessman. Even he is a sports lover. He is the chairman of a large sports club of the country. As a result, those who plan to kill a person like him are surely criminals. I also don’t support threatening to kill or plan to kill anyone. In this case too, I strongly protest it.” “I hope the reason and real culprits will be identified through proper investigation by the law enforcement agencies. I think exemplary punishment will be meted out to them,” he added. Asked about this, Jatiya Press Club President Farida Yasmin said: “We’re concerned about the assassination attempt on a media entrepreneur and an established industrialist. Not only him but the attempt to kill any citizen is a highly reprehensible and criminal offence. I strongly condemn and protest this incident.” She said, “One person has been arrested in connection with the plot and he has been put on remand. Police should find out the conspirators through interrogation. We call on the administration to take legal action against the conspirators. Besides, I’m urging the police administration to ensure proper investigation into the case.” Dip Azad, secretary general of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), said, “A case has been filed in this connection. I hope the police administration will investigate the case properly and impartially.” Quddus Afrad, president of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), said the attempt to kill a media entrepreneur is a matter of grave concern. “I strongly condemn it. I urge the administration to immediately arrest those who are behind the conspiracy and bring them to justice. I hope that the MD of East West Media Group Ltd will get justice.” DUJ General Secretary Sajjad Alam Khan Topu strongly condemned the conspiracy, saying a case has been filed in this regard. “The accused is on remand. We hope police will identify the conspirators through a proper and impartial investigation.” Osman Goni Babul, vice-president of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU), said: “We’re concerned about the assassination attempt on a media entrepreneur. We condemn this incident and call upon the police administration to conduct a proper and impartial investigation into the case.” Mizan Malik, president of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB), said: “We’ve seen in media that a young man from a madrasah in Bashundhara Residential Area has been arrested for attempting to assassinate Sayem Sobhan Anvir. An official of Bashundhara Group has lodged a case with the police station. I urge the police administration to conduct a proper and impartial investigation into the case.” CRAB General Secretary Alauddin Arif said, “I strongly condemn and protest the incident. Sayem Sobhan Anvir is one of the leading media entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. Seven important media outlets like Bangladesh Pratidin, Kaler Kantho, Daily Sun, News24 TV, Bangla News24, T Sports and Capital Radio are operating under East West Media Group Ltd.” “Many CRAB members are working in these media houses. The assassination attempt on a media entrepreneur like him has stirred grave concern and panic among us,” he added. Arif added: “We have come to know about the complaint of Major (retd) Mizanur Rahman, chief public relations officer of Bashundhara Group, in this regard. We want a fair and impartial investigation into the incident. We urge the administration to identify the conspirators and mete out exemplary punishment to them through proper investigation.”