Another journalist dead

Our deepest sympathy goes out to the family of Belal, another victim of the climate of fear and insecurity in which this nation's media -- specially those in the south-west region -- are forced to ply their trade. Belal was the sixth journalist in Khulna and the fourteenth in the south-west to be killed in the last ten years.

The south-west has long been an extremely dangerous place in which to practice conscientious and honest journalism. One reason has been the vicious environment of rivalries centering around shrimp farming. There are often disputes between different parties over issues such as the use of land and water, and as a result there has grown up a strong nexus between the vested interests and outlaw groups. The police would know better.

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This sordid underbelly of the south-west is very difficult for a journalist to report on, as has been evidenced by the series of killings. The journalists who risk their lives to expose the squalid state of affairs deserve our praise and gratitude. They remain steadfast in the discharge of their duty even though the reward is small and the risks very great.

The government must take greater responsibility. In the first place, the criminals' den which south-west is turning into must be brought under local administrative control, and every measure should be taken to ensure that newsmen and women are no longer in danger from the criminal elements. Groups such as the PBCP, which claimed responsibility for Belal's killing, and their sponsors or associates, must be brought to justice so that inhabitants of the region do not have to live their lives in fear.

In addition, it is perhaps time for those of us who are in the industry to do a little soul-searching and address the issue of what steps we can take to help ensure the safety and security of our colleagues. The wanton killing and intimidation of journalists in the south-west cannot continue. The time has come for the journalistic community to close ranks and unite around the threat that we are facing, which is a threat not to one journalist or one newspaper or one point of view, but to the profession as a whole.