Death of indigenous teenage: ‘Mahfuz Anam’s statement disappoints us’

CHT DESK:

The progressive citizens’ platform, Shahbagh Movement against Oppression, on Sunday in an open letter alleged that The Daily Star, one of the leading newspapers of Bangladesh did not publish any analytical and investigative report over the death of indigenous teenage domestic help Preeti Urang who used to work its executive editor’s house which proved the biased behavior of the newspaper.

The letter alleged that retaining the accused Syed Ashfaqul Haque as the executive editor of The Daily Star was an attempt to spread influence and said that relieving Ashfaqul from the post of executive editor for the sake of an impartial and unbiased investigation would have proved his sense of responsibility towards the society as a newspaper editor.

‘In your statement you said that The Daily Star stands by its policy of upholding the rights of children but you have just given silent support to child labour by not expressing any stance on the employment of child labour,’ the letter said.

The letter posed questions on whether The Daily Star have done any research into these allegations and also find out how the investigating officer of Mohammadpur police station filed a false report with court in the case of seven-year-old Ferdausi’s fall from Ashfaqul’s residence six months ago.

The letter also questioned, ‘Is it a moral and ethical matter for the newspaper not to suspend the accused who is in jail on charge of murder?’

‘Even after ten days of the incident, your statement is a commendable initiative. We sincerely thank you. But the statement disappointed us’, the letter reads.

The letter urged The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam to immediately relieve its executive editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque of his position.

The platform also urged Mahfuz Anam to help the family of Preeti Urang to get fair justice.

The letter was a reaction to the statement given on Friday by The Daily Star editor on Preeti’s death.

Preeti, 15-year-old member of indigenous Urang community in Moulvibazar’s Kamalganj upazila, died reportedly after she had fallen from the 8th floor of Syed Ashfaqul Haque’s residence at Mohammadpur on February 6.

Police arrested Syed Ashfaqul Haque and his wife Tania Khondoker the next day, in a case filed by Preeti’s father, Lokesh Urang, a tea worker in Moulvibazar, with the Mohammadpur police station.

Meanwhile, Preeti’s mother Nomita Urang sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s interference in ensuring justice for killing her daughter.

“Do you have no compassion or favour whatsoever? Is this how a poor girl should be thrown from a building? Can anyone torture in this manner? Nomita said in a protest rally when tears were rolling down her eyes.

The Daily Star must make its position transparent. It has a good record of doing in-depth investigations, so why not here? The Daily Star has a big responsibility to investigate what happened, to find out who is responsible for this incident, and to take a strong position against them, said Anu Muhammad, former professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University in his opinion which published in The Daily Star on Saturday.

If The Daily Star fails to take the right position in this case, it will lead to a huge credibility crisis for the whole organisation. We stand for Preeti, we want justice, and we cannot provide any concessions to those responsible for her suffering and the untimely end of her life, he said.

The couple was on a four-day remand that ended on Saturday. The case was transferred to Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch on Thursday.

A Dhaka court on Sunday (today) sent the couple to jail after the completion of their remand.